Deputy Katikkiro-Owek. Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa (Centre) and his delegation; Dr. Prosperous Nankindu Kavuma (2nd Left) and Owek. Noah Kiyimba (Left), are received upon arrival at CTF2, Makerere University by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (2nd Right) and DVCAA-Dr. Umar Kakumba (Right) on 1st October 2020.
A delegation from Buganda Kingdom led by the Second Deputy Katikkiro and Minister for Finance and Economic Planning-Owek. Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa on Thursday 1st October, 2020 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe to express the Kingdom’s solidarity and sympathies following the fire incident that ravaged the Main Building on 20th September 2020. The Deputy Katikkiro was accompanied by Buganda Minister for Youth, Sports and Recreation-Owek. Dr. Prosperous Nankindu Kavuma and Buganda Minister for Information, Cabinet, Lukiiko, Protocol and Kingdom Spokesperson-Owek. Noah Kiyimba. Also present to receive the delegation was the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-Dr. Umar Kakumba.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor welcomed and thanked the delegation for not only sending messages of support when they heard about the fire incident but also taking time visit Makerere University and express their solidarity. He noted that there has been an outpouring of messages of sympathy and support from alumni and friends of Makerere University from all over the world ever since the shocking news of the fire broke early on that Sunday morning.
This, he noted, was a reaffirmation that “Makerere is possibly the most international University in the world owing to two factors i) if we consider the number of Memoranda of Understanding signed with most major institutions in the world and ii) that our staff do research and publish with researchers and academics in other institutions around the world more than any other university.”
Prof. Nawangwe shared that as a result of this support, a number of individuals and institutions have already sent in their contributions either to help restore the iconic Main Building or ensure business continuity for the affected departments. He informed the delegation that earlier in the day, the University Management had unveiled two bank accounts and an MTN MoMo Pay merchant code through which contributions to the restoration may be sent. The Vice Chancellor concluded by announcing that the official fundraising drive would be held at a later date.
In her brief remarks prior to inviting the Deputy Katikiro, Dr. Nankindu Kavuma shared that as an alumna and researcher who resided in Africa Hall and Quarry flats respectively, the news of the fire outbreak was both unbelievable and sad. She nevertheless reassured that the spirit of Buganda in donating the land on which the University was built is still alive and that the Kingdom remains committed to working with Makerere to nurture other Universities.
L-R: The Vice Chancellor-Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Owek. Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa, Dr. Prosperous Nankindu Kavuma, Dr. Umar Kakumba and Owek. Noah Kiyimba (2nd Row Right) make their way past the Main Library to the Main Building site on 1st October 2020.
In his personal remarks prior to reading the Katikkiro’s message, Owek. Waggwa Nsibirwa said Buganda Kingdom’s contribution to Makerere has been well documented beyond the land donations in 1922 at the start of the Technical School and in 1949 when the institution became a College affiliated to the University College of London. He added that century-old collaboration between the two institutions can only grow stronger.
“Many of us serving in the Buganda Kingdom Government are alumni of Makerere University” remarked the Deputy Katikkiro before adding “I used to reside in University Hall while I did my Bachelor of Statistics and I returned for my second degree (Master of Arts) in Economic Policy and Planning.”
He added that as members of alumni, they were personally touched when they saw that the iconic Ivory Tower had been gutted by fire. However, this only served to strengthen their resolve. “We shall rise again and have an even more iconic Main Building.”
The Katikkiro’s Message of Solidarity noted that the gutting of the Ivory Tower was one of the saddest occurrences in Makerere’s 98 year old history and conveyed his personal and Kingdom’s sympathies to the Vice Chancellor, academic and non-academic staff, students, alumni and Government of Uganda upon this most tragic incident.
“I trust that the government will support management to establish the cause of the fire, and more importantly, to restore the Ivory Tower to its original state and appearance” concluded Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga’s message.
The delegation then proceeded to the Main Building site, where they somberly observed the gutted Ivory Tower before once again reassuring the Management of Buganda Kingdom’s willingness to support efforts to restore the iconic Main Administration Building.
Makerere University, Uganda’s premier institution of higher learning and one of Africa’s leading research universities, invites applications from suitably qualified and distinguished individuals for the positions of Principal and Deputy Principal in the Colleges listed below. The University seeks visionary leaders with demonstrated academic excellence, strategic leadership, and a commitment to institutional transformation. This advertisement is for the positions of:
Principal and Deputy Principal, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES)
Principal and Deputy Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES)
Principal and Deputy Principal, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS)
Principal and Deputy Principal, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB)
Principal, College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS)
Deputy Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS).
Mode of application
Interested individuals for the positions of Principal and Deputy Principal should submit the following documents sealed in an envelope addressed to the University Secretary;
A signed letter of application;
Certified copies of academic certificates and transcripts;
The curriculum vitae of the candidate;
Three (3) letters of recommendation;
Copies of the required minimum number of publications;
Copies of letters of appointment to leadership positions at the level of Head of Department and/or its equivalent or higher in a recognised institution comparable to Makerere University;
A copy of the applicant’s national ID or passport; and
A copy of the last letter of clearance from the Inspectorate of Government or other equivalent national body.
The deadline for applications is 6th July 2026 at 5:00 p.m. East African Time.
Applications should be hand-delivered to:
The University Secretary Makerere University Main Administration Building, Level 2, University Secretary’s Office
Or submitted via email at search.principal@mak.ac.ug
Makerere is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from suitably qualified individuals regardless of gender, disability, or other legally protected status. The University is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and excellence in all its activities.
THIS ADVERT CANCELS THE EARLIER ISSUED ADVERT DATED 17TH JUNE 2026
Makerere University on 17th June 2026 launched the upgraded Financial Management System (Mak-FMS) and Implementation Roadmap aimed at ensuring paperless end-to-end transactions right from requisition to sign-off. Mak-FMS was initially launched on 10th July 2024 to automate requisition initiation and approval. The upgraded system will ensure that the hitherto paper-based payment voucher generation, examination, digital clearance, and sign off are completed digitally.
Presiding over the launch on behalf of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, the Principal, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta commended the Directorate of Finance and the Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS) on the strides made in digitalisation of financial processes at Makerere. He nevertheless called for the need to make approvals time bound at each stage of the process to ensure that requisitions are sanctioned or deferred for additional input promptly.
The University Bursar, Mr. Evarist Bainomugisha informed attendees at the launch that the objective of the Mak-FMS upgrade was to ensure paperless transactions by 1st July 2026. He added that Champions had been appointed from colleges and administrative units, and will together with ICT Support Staff be trained by DICTS to support users during the transition.
Mr. Bainomugisha nevertheless noted that incorporation of Mak-FMS into Uganda’s Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) remains undone. He therefore called upon Finance Officers and Accountants to prudently ensure that the money committed on the Makerere system is charged to the appropriate Government code.
DICTS Chief, Mr. Samuel Mugabi reiterated that the upgraded system is not entirely new but is only aimed at further enhancing accountability and transparency of financial management for efficiency of Makerere’s business operations. He added that the upgraded Mak-FMS will be integrated with the recently rolled out Procurement System in a phased approach, especially as users increasingly get acquainted with the paperless working environment. He equally reiterated DICTS readiness to support the Directorate of Finance to ensure a holistic training of users.
Highlighting the ten-day Implementation Roadmap, DICTS Deputy Chief, Mr. Juma Katongole noted that launch of the upgraded Mak-FMS marked Day 1, while Day 2 will be dedicated to training Finance Officers, Accountants and ICT Support Staff and Day 3 to training Champions and more ICT Support Staff. Days 4 and 5 will be dedicated to Hands-on Training Sessions for College Bursars, Accountants and Champions, while Day 6 will feature University-wide pilot implementation of the upgraded Mak-FMS.
Day 7 of the roadmap will handle user support clinics and help desk sessions, while Day 8 will feature refresher training and a workshop on frequently encountered issues. A University-wide simulation exercise covering the end-to-end payment lifecycle will be held on Day 9 and Day 10 will host the readiness assessment meeting and go-live sign-off.
In order to ensure a smooth transition to a digital Mak-FMS, a help desk will remain operational throughout the period and user manuals as well as quick-reference videos will be developed and distributed on the University Knowledge Base and DICTS Social Media platforms.
The College of Health Sciences (CHS) QA Guidebook streamlines academic excellence, outlining essential quality processes, committee structures, and regulations aligned with Makerere University Policy and the 2004 Graduate Guidebook. It details roles for staff and students, including examination management, committee terms of reference, and highlights staff/student achievements.
Key Components of the QA Guidebook
Committees & Structure: Defines roles for the Quality Assurance, Gender Mainstreaming, and ICT Committee, ensuring alignment with SDGs and university policies and NCHE
Examination QA Processes: Outlines procedures for setting, moderating, and marking exams, ensuring standards and ethical compliance.
Regulations & Guidelines: Based on the Makerere University Quality Assurance Policy Framework (2007) and Graduate Guidebook 2004 ensuring consistency across all programmes.
Roles & Responsibilities: Clearly defines the responsibilities of Deans, Heads of Departments, and Students in Internal Quality Assurance.
Key student information in academic processes.
Commitment to support graduate training.
Recognition & Faculty Development: Recognizes outstanding female professors and acknowledges staff who completed PhDs in 2024–2026