General
DVCFA opens Mak e-HRMS Training for HR Staff
The Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Dr. Josephine Nabukenya has officially opened training for staff in the Directorate of Human Resources aimed at equipping them with the required knowledge and skills in the operation of the Makerere University automated Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS).
The e-HRMS hands-on training, which has kicked off on Monday 1st February 2021 brings on board the Ag. Director of Human Resources, Managers in the Directorate of Human Resources, College Human Resources Officers/Personnel, as well as Senior and Technical staff in the Directorate of Human Resources. The intensive training that involves feeding data of staff recently submitted to the Directorate of Human Resources into the e-HRMS is scheduled to end on 12th February 2021.
Addressing the Human Resources (HR) and Public Relations (PR) staff, Dr. Nabukenya emphasized that the training is very critical for it enables the team to interface with the usage of e-HRMS, its modalities and be conversant with its application when serving other members of staff in the University.
“This training initiates our members of staff in HR into the automated (e-HRMS) including employment, appraisal, staff development, official leave and among others. Empowered with the necessary skills and knowledge, the HR staff will be the key resource in the digitization process of our human resource records and data,” she said.
She reiterated that on completion of the training by HR staff (12th February 2021), the entire staff of Makerere University effective 15th February 2021, will access the e-HRMS to update their bio data. “In line with confidentiality principles, some sections are designed for staff members to update their information/data while other sections can only be viewed, but will not allow any changes. If any member of staff wishes to update information in those classified sections, he/she will be required to interact with the designated College Human Resources Office or the Human Resources Officer responsible for the particular Administrative Unit upon provision of certified evidence,” she highlighted.
According to Dr. Nabukenya, the University Management has embarked on the change of the Makerere University related e-mail addresses to a single top-level email domain. “The change is a result of the need to transition to the usage of an integrated digital platform, in order to access the administrative services at Mak including the human resources management services among others,
through the recently automated HR management system (e-HRMS).”
She applauded the Government of Uganda through Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (RIF) for funding the development of the Makerere University e-HRM system.
On behalf of the team, the Ag. Director of Human Resources- Mr. Sanyu Lawrence thanked the University Management for prioritizing this training in order to ensure efficiency in the management of human resources in the University. “We are going to use the 10 days training to enter data collected from staff into the e-HRM system. Equipping HR staff with skills and knowledge on the usage of the system provides them with firsthand information and expertise with respect to its operation. The HR staff will be in position to guide the entire staff of the University on issues pertaining to the e-HRMS,” remarked Mr. Sanyu.
According to the Directorate of Human Resources (DHR), the first phase of the e-HRMS rolling-out process entailed reconstruction of staff records in the preparation for the use of e-HRMS. On completion of the training HR staff and feeding data into the system, this phase will be followed by requesting all University staff to login to the e-HRMS. Accounts to access the e-HRMS are being
created for each member of staff, to use the single top-level email domain structure (i.e., xxx@mak.ac.ug) to sign-in to proceed with the
profile updating process.
Article by: Mak Public Relations Office
Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities.
The launch brought together senior government officials, university leadership, and development planners, including the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, and a representative from the National Planning Authority (NPA), alongside the University Vice Chancellor.
A Vision Anchored in National Transformation
Speaking at the launch, the Vice Chancellor underscored the University’s ambition to significantly expand graduate training and strengthen its contribution to national development. He noted that the institution is targeting a return to pre-COVID enrolment levels and a substantial increase in postgraduate numbers by 2030, with a focus on producing highly skilled graduates, innovators, and researchers.
He emphasized that the Strategic Plan positions the University as a key driver of Uganda’s transformation through knowledge generation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligned with national priorities.
“The staffing distribution is shown here. Under the approved establishment, we intended to have 419 Professors, but we currently have only 75. We planned for 473 Associate Professors, but currently have only 144. This clearly demonstrates that we still have considerable room for growth in strengthening our academic staff profile,” the VC said.
The VC appreciated researchers and research centres, that continue to attract substantial research funding. He highlighted the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and the Makerere University Walter Reed Project which attracted approximately US$70 million in international research funding into Uganda.
“When you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” he said.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional roadmap, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”
She noted that the Plan marks “the launch of Makerere University’s next chapter,” adding that decisions taken over the next five years will shape not only the future of the institution, but also Uganda’s development trajectory through graduates, research, innovations, and leadership.
Dr. Magara emphasized Makerere’s unique national role as Uganda’s premier public university, entrusted with public resources and public confidence.
“Every investment made in Makerere must produce measurable value for the people of Uganda,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability, integrity, and impact.
Ambitious Targets for Transformation
The Council Chairperson and the Vice chancellor outlined bold performance targets under the Strategic Plan, including doubling postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM enrolment from 30% to 55%, improving PhD completion rates from 10% to 35%, and more than doubling peer-reviewed research output, alongside a significant rise in patents and innovations.
Dr. Magara stressed that these targets are not aspirations alone but binding commitments against which institutional performance will be measured.
“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.
Call for Stronger Governance and Legal Reform
Dr. Magara also highlighted the need for reform of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, noting that the current legal framework has not kept pace with the evolving realities of university governance and innovation.
She called on Government and Parliament to support a timely review of the Act to enable universities to better optimise knowledge systems, productive assets, and innovation capacity in support of national development.
Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment
Hon. Henry Musasizi commended the University for developing a forward-looking Strategic Plan aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as the foundation for the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He explained that Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy from about USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion requires accelerated growth driven by productivity gains, innovation, and strong human capital development.
“Universities are central actors in national transformation. They are engines of knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development,” he said.
The Minister stressed that government priorities include strengthening research, promoting industrialization, and ensuring that knowledge generated in universities is translated into practical solutions that support economic growth. He further highlighted the importance of accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public investments in higher education.
Universities as Drivers of the Tenfold Growth Strategy
In his presentation, the Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, Samuel Kasule, emphasized that the Strategic Plan is firmly anchored in Uganda’s comprehensive development framework under Vision 2040 and NDP IV.
He noted that the Tenfold Growth Strategy seeks to accelerate Uganda’s economic growth into double-digit territory, enabling the country to achieve structural transformation and reach upper middle-income status.
Kasule underscored that universities play a critical role in this transformation through labour productivity, research, and innovation. He pointed out that priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and ICT depend heavily on skilled graduates and strong research ecosystems.
He also highlighted the importance of competency-based education, alignment of academic programmes with national human resource needs, and strengthening postgraduate training and research outputs.
A Shared Commitment to Transformation
Across all speeches, a strong message emerged: universities are central to Uganda’s development agenda and must evolve into research-intensive institutions that directly contribute to economic transformation.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was widely commended for its focus on innovation, industry collaboration, digital transformation, and the commercialization of research outputs.
Government leaders reaffirmed continued support for higher education institutions through research funding, innovation ecosystems, and strengthened university–industry partnerships.
Conclusion
The launch of the Strategic Plan 2030 signals a renewed commitment to positioning the University as a key partner in Uganda’s development journey. With strong alignment to national priorities, the Plan is expected to accelerate research, innovation, and skills development necessary for achieving Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions. The Strategic Plan may be accessed at: https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan
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