In Press

How Ministry Will Track COVID-19 Cases

Published

5 years ago

May 4, 2020

Mark Wamai

The Minister of Health-Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng (Left) inspects some of the Point of Entry (PoE) equipment worth UGX310M handed over by the Executive Director IDI-Dr. Andrew Kambugu (Right) on 13th March 2020 at the Ministry of Health Headquarters, Nakasero, Kampala Uganda.

About 240 people who have completed their mandatory quarantine and are being followed up by the Ministry of Health for a month have begun receiving automated voice calls.

These calls are part of a system known as IVR for Interactive Voice Response, a computer assisted patient management system with a successful history in keeping track of tuberculosis and HIV/Aids patients.

The pilot is part of the national response made possible through a partnership between Ministry of Health and Makerere University.

According to Dr Andrew Kambugu of the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) at Makerere, a small team is working to support the ministry to rapidly adapt the tool to manage potentially large number of Covid-19 patients – should the need arise.

The pilot project dubbed “Call for Life” (C4Life) uses basic dumb phones (non-smart phone) and is expected to be widely applicable.

Read the full story in the Daily Monitor

In Press

Registration without incentives won’t grow business in Uganda, experts warn

Published

2 weeks ago

August 31, 2025

Mak Editor

Prof. Marcus Larsen presenting the research insights. College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) and the Copenhagen Business School, in partnership with Uganda Small Scale Industries Association, dissemination workshop on Firm Formalization and Sustainable Development, 29th August 2025, CoBAMS Conference Hall, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

_{By John Odyek}

Business and tax registration alone are not enough to secure the survival, growth, or sustainability of firms in Uganda, according to new research that has been released.

The study conducted by scholars from Makerere University, Copenhagen Business School, and the Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA) found that formalisation must be supported by targeted reforms, government incentives, and strong backing from business associations and civil society if it is to deliver green and inclusive growth.

Titled “Firm Formalisation and Sustainable Development,” the study launched on August 28, 2025, at Makerere University.

In Press

Climate change puts Uganda’s trade future at risk

Published

4 weeks ago

August 18, 2025

Mak Editor

Dr. Peter Babyenda, Post Doc Researcher. Environment for Development (EfD) initiative at Makerere University inception workshop for two-year research project aimed at studying energy demand and efficiency among Ugandan households and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), supported by a $30,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation under the CECAP program, 14th May 2025, EfD Conference Room, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

_{By Dr. Peter Babyenda}

Uganda’s growing integration into regional and global markets is facing a serious threat from climate change, according to a new study examining the country’s trade performance between 1990 and 2023. The study reveals that rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns are undermining export capacity, damaging vital infrastructure, and pushing up the cost of trade.

The writer is a Research Fellow, Lecturer and Policy Engagement Coordinator at EfD-Mak Centre, School of Economics, CoBAMS, Makerere University; Email: pbabyenda@gmail.com

In Press

The crisis of impressions in Uganda

Published

4 months ago

May 26, 2025

Mak Editor

Assoc. Prof. Mike Ibrahim Okumu officially opening the workshop. Environment for Development (EfD) initiative at Makerere University inception workshop for two-year research project aimed at studying energy demand and efficiency among Ugandan households and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), supported by a $30,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation under the CECAP program, 14th May 2025, EfD Conference Room, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

OKUMU MIKE IBRAHIM | In recent times, I have come to better understand why many frontier organisations such as the Economic Policy Research Center now prefer to observe prospective employees—through internships, consultancy roles, or temporary assignments—before offering permanent contracts. This trend reflects a broader social phenomenon: the rise of impression management, what we locally call kufera. Unfortunately, this culture of appearances has crept into the realm of public service, where form often triumphs over substance, and packaging overshadows the true content of delivery.