General
EfD-Mak Acquires Video Conferencing Facility, Equipment Worth over $20,000
Environment for Development Initiative (EfD-Mak) Centre Uganda has acquired an assortment of IT equipment worth over $20,000 funded by the project funds from Sida.
The acquired equipment includes a video conferencing facility, 65” screen, camera and other accessories including a 30-seater conference table and 20 chairs. The centre procured six laptop computers for the core administrative staff, a four-seater workstation, projector, printer, scanner and photocopier as well as a water dispenser, file cabinets, still photo camera and a recorder.
The equipment was handed over to the centre by the Principal, Makerere University College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) Prof. Eria Hisali on behalf of the university management on 24th August, 2020.
Prof. Hisali thanked the Centre Director for inviting him to the EfD-Mak Office Premises. The centre was allocated space on the fifth floor of the University Centralized Teaching Facility Two (CTF 2).
“It is true that I have been one of the people following the activities of the centre quite closely and I want to say that, on behalf of the university and college management, we most sincerely appreciate all initiatives like this one.
This are very important for the visibility of the university first and foremost, but also for purposes of capacity building for the university staff through research that is being undertaken through participating in different networks” Prof. Hisali remarked.
The Principal expressed the college and university’s commitment to continue supporting this initiative and to create a good environment that enables the centre to grow an even into a bigger self-sustaining entity.
“These are important contributions to not only the development of our country but to the continent and indeed the world as a whole. My purpose of coming was to not only see the equipment but also thank and encourage you to continue working harder” , The Principal appreciated.
Prof. Hisali however noted that the centre’s limited office space and advised the leadership to look at the possibility of having the video conferencing facility allocated its own home.
“I think the immediate thing is for you to consult the Estates and Works department because ordinarily, this video conferencing facility can be used by quite a number of people and the space here will limit the value we can get from accommodating a bigger number of participants”, the Principal advised.
The Centre Director Prof. Edward Bbaale thanked the EfD Secretariat and Sida for the financial support.
“Having this video conferencing facility is very much welcome and we thank EfD and Sida for the grant that led to the procurement.
We have now a fully furnished video conferencing facility that is going to help us in exchanging ideas locally and interacting with other researchers globally via zoom and other modern communication channels. This is very great to us as a young centre”, Prof. Bbaale expressed.
Prof. Bbaale also said, with such a fully furnished centre, researchers were going to enjoy managing huge data sets that require more processing power and computers with the latest software.
He thanked the Principal for the support rendered to the centre and his personal engagement in a number of EfD activities right from the proposal writing stage to date.
“The main reason we have invited you is to account for the equipment and furniture that the centre has acquired given the roles in your docket. This is Council space and you can allocate any user available.” The director explained.
The EfD-Mak is a new Centre at Makerere University established in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2018, under the Environment for Development Initiative (EfD), a global network of environmental economics research centres sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
EfD-Mak started its full operations in the financial year 2019/2020. The centre is headed by Prof. Edward Bbaale, from the School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) as the Director, deputized by Prof. Johnny Mugisha, from the School of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
Report Compiled by: Jane Anyango, Principal Communication Officer, CAES.
Makerere University staff have been urged to embrace servant leadership, integrity and compassion as they prepare to welcome students for the 2026/2027 Academic Year.
The call was made during the Makerere University Staff Prayer Breakfast held on 31st July 2026 at St. Francis Students Centre Upper Hall under the theme “Faithful Stewards: A Servant Heart with Integrity and Wisdom,” drawn from Colossians 3:23–24 and Mark 10:35–45.
The prayer breakfast brought together members of Council, University Management, academic, and administrative staff to dedicate the new academic year to God while reflecting on their responsibility of serving students with excellence, humility and integrity.
A Call to Seek God’s Wisdom
Host Rev. Dr. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa reminded staff that no amount of professional experience or academic expertise can replace God’s guidance.
She noted that the University’s mission can only be fulfilled when staff continually seek God’s wisdom in serving students and one another.
“There is no amount of experience or expertise that can replace God’s wisdom.”
Rev. Dr. Kitayimbwa observed that students remain the reason universities exist and challenged staff to approach their work as a calling rather than merely employment.
“Without students, there is no university,” she said, encouraging members of staff to remain united, avoid unhealthy competition and trust God as they begin another academic year.
She further urged staff to become faithful stewards who work together in harmony, which she summed up as, “United we stand; divided we fall.”
A Community, Not Just a Centre of Research
In her remarks, Dean of Students Dr. Winnie Kabumbuli welcomed the Council Chairperson, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Members of Management to the breakfast, and reminded staff that a university’s value cannot be measured by research and innovation alone.
She described Makerere as a community held together by the spiritual as well as academic wellbeing of its people, and called on staff to renew their commitment to one another as much as to the institution they serve.
Draw Inspiration From Stewardship
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Prof. Sarah Ssali told staff that this year’s breakfast carried special significance.
“This is the first prayer breakfast we are having ever since we launched our strategic plan,” she said, referring to the University’s new Strategic Plan, launched on 2nd July 2026.
She encouraged staff to hold on to the morning’s reflections as a guide for implementing the plan over the next five years, describing Makerere as an institution many families choose above all others for the vision and training it offers their children. She urged staff to see themselves as stewards of that trust rather than simply employees carrying out a job.
Compassion and Discipline Must Go Together
Delivering her remarks, Makerere University Council Chairperson Dr. Lorna Magara challenged staff to strike a balance between compassion and discipline when dealing with students.
She observed that many students face different personal and academic challenges, making encouragement and timely support essential throughout their university journey.
“A word of encouragement can restore hope and prevent costly mistakes,” she noted.
Dr. Lorna encouraged lecturers and administrators to respond promptly to students’ concerns, explaining that delays, insensitive decisions and abuse of authority can discourage students and negatively affect their academic experience.
She reminded staff that students often remember how they were treated long after they have forgotten what was taught in class.
“Students may eventually forget what we teach them, but they will always remember how we treated them.”
She added that education goes beyond transferring knowledge.
“Education is more than knowledge. We communicate life, character and values.”
Quoting Mark 10, Dr. Lorna called upon staff to embrace servant leadership by exercising authority with humility, integrity and accountability.
She encouraged members of staff to ask themselves whether they would treat every student the same way ashey would treat their own child.
“We may not always have all the answers,” she said, “but we can communicate honestly, take responsibility and treat every student with dignity.”
She concluded by urging different colleges and administrative units to work together instead of operating in isolation, noting that unity strengthens the University community.
Referring to Galatians 6:2, she reminded staff to carry one another’s burdens and remain faithful stewards of the responsibility entrusted to them.
Servant Leadership Begins with Faithfulness
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. James Magara, husband to Dr. Lorna Magara, called on members of staff to embrace servant leadership grounded in humility, faithfulness and service to others.
Drawing from Mark 10:35–45, Dr. Magara reflected on the account in which James and John asked Jesus for positions of honour in His kingdom, prompting discontent among the other disciples. He observed that despite walking closely with Christ, the disciples continued to struggle with the desire for status and recognition. He noted that such competition remained evident even during the Last Supper, where concerns over positions and prominence persisted.
Dr. Magara said that Jesus responded to these human tendencies by redefining leadership through service rather than authority. He described Christ’s act of washing the disciples’ feet as the ultimate demonstration of servant leadership, explaining that genuine leaders are willing to undertake even the humblest responsibilities in service of others.
Referencing Philippians 2, he urged staff to emulate Christ’s humility and selflessness, contrasting it with the pride and self-exaltation illustrated in Isaiah 14. He emphasised that lasting influence and greatness are not measured by titles, positions or recognition, but by one’s willingness to serve faithfully and put the needs of others before personal ambition.
Drawing on his own leadership journey spanning several decades, Dr. Magara challenged leaders across the University to cultivate humility, integrity and a servant heart in the execution of their responsibilities. He cautioned that leadership driven by pride and personal ambition undermines both individual effectiveness and institutional progress, whereas servant leadership strengthens organisations and fosters lasting impact.
The prayer breakfast concluded with a call for unity and collective commitment as Makerere University prepares to begin a new academic year. Organisers noted that the reflections on stewardship, integrity and servant leadership would provide a strong foundation for the University community as it advances the implementation of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025–2030.
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