Research
MakSPH Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee Gets New Leadership
Published
4 years agoon

By Davidson Ndyabahika
Makerere University School of Public Health’s (MakSPH) Dr. David Musoke has started his term as the new Chair of the Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee.
Dr. Musoke, a Lecturer in the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health at MakSPH, replaced Dr. David Serwadda, an infectious disease epidemiologist and Professor at the School who had served in this capacity for 13 years, at the committee’s handover meeting held on 23rd March 2021.
MakSPH maintains its rank as an academic, research leader in public health in the region. This has been enabled by a strong and dedicated team of professionals that support the research and training. The School has also been leading in this area of grants management in the entire University, thanks to the credible leadership of the School.
A brief about the Grants Committee
Between 2003 and 2009, Professor Serwadda was Director of the then Makerere Institute of Public Health. He served in that position until 2007 when he was promoted to the position of Dean, Makerere University School of Public Health, following the elevation of the Institute to a constituent School of Makerere University College of Health Sciences. It is during this period, that he started a grants committee.
“During that time, the committee did not perform as expected because there was a lot of resistance. Nevertheless, in 2008 the grants committee kicked off,” Professor Serwadda recalls.
In the past four years, the committee has evolved into what we now know as the Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee.
One of its key achievements under Prof. Serwadda’s leadership has been a generation of strong policies to guide the grants management at the School, that have since been approved by the School Board. The documents range from the Grants Procedure Manual, Conflict of Interest Policy to Management of Grants external to MakSPH.
“These documents we have developed are very important for purposes of management and procedural management of the grants at the School. Having these documents is a very important achievement as Makerere University Central Management does not have some of them very well outlined for the whole University,” Professor Serwadda.
He adds that; “The School of Public Health has been leading in this area and some of the colleges are learning from what we have been able to do to manage their grants.”
Additionally, the grants committee has been involved in the capacity strengthening by the grant’s secretariat. “I am extremely grateful to the grants secretariat and initiatives they have made in securing grants for purposes of either training researchers among others. This is something that is commendable,” Professor Serwadda.
Professor Serwadda also appealed to the new committee to embark on the Monitoring and Evaluation of the performance of grants, which had initially been thought to be the function of the Heads of Department. He added that the committee ought to continuously sensitize and enforce the monitoring and evaluation of projects.
“The other issue is the individual conduct of the PIs on these grants. There is a need to follow well-laid-out procedures for procurement, as well as conflict of interest. The conduct of the PI is extremely important in setting a tone on how the whole grant is managed,” said Professor Serwadda.
Other Areas of Improvement
Professor Serwadda highlighted that the Grants committee needs to regularly sensitize staff about the grants policies that exist in the School.
The in-coming Grants committee chairperson Dr. David Musoke said thanked the School management for entrusting him with the leadership of the committee.
“This confidence in me by the management of the School will be a driving force to work with the new team to ensure that we build on what has been achieved by the committee and move its agenda forward,” Dr. Musoke.
“I wish in a special way to thank my predecessor Prof. David Serwadda who has been at the forefront of this committee for very many years and, we have seen what the committee has been able to achieve over the years. This gives us an opportunity as the in-coming committee to harness what has been achieved but also build on the successes and learn from the challenges for the benefit of the School. I believe we will carry on the great work done by the outgoing committee and we shall make the entire School faculty proud,” he added.
Dr. Musoke further highlighted that the committee will continue to support the use and adherence to the already existing policy guidelines moving forward to enable proper management of grants at the School.
Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor and Dean, MakSPH emphasized that the Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee is a very crucial committee of the School.
“The volume of work has grown. We have a lot of funds coming into the School. Last year, we had slightly over US$ 30M in grants coming into the School despite the fact that we were in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the things I am excited about is that these funds are not being contributed by one large grant. It is being contributed to by multiple small grants,” Prof. Wanyenze said.
She added that at the time she took over the Office of the Dean, the School’s grants portfolio went down about 50% because three large grants ended simultaneously.
“At that time, we were coming down from over US$ 30M to almost half if we had not put in deliberately efforts to try and expand the pool of people bringing in grants, multiple small grants, deliberately expanding partnerships so that we can work with more people, and so we have more players and to me, that is more sustainable,” Professor Wanyenze explains.
In the last three years, MakSPH has had more than 20 new partners and several direct first-time grantees.
According to Prof. Wanyenze, the School aspires to have more visibility in terms of Ph.D. training for regional leadership as the first Public Health Institute in the region.
“We have expanded the number of regional grants that we are coordinating as a School. There are more coming. This has been a deliberate effort and we must continue since we now understand what it takes to have that presence in the region,” she noted.
The Dean also noted that the school will further ensure it improves on the management of partnerships and grants.
“It is one thing winning a grant but it’s another sustaining this grant. Being in harmony with your funder, partners and making sure that you can pull them to deliver quality products on time is crucial. That is a major issue and one of our biggest risks. We have been taught science and no one has taught us administration and therefore the issues that break us are quite often not the science but how we manage our grants, our people, the procurement, and many other things. We need to continue to learn so that we appreciate our policies put in place,” Dr. Wanyenze.
Through the PMA project, Jhpiego, an international, non-profit health organization affiliated with The Johns Hopkins University rated MakSPH highly during the 3rd Organizational Capacity Assessment.
Prof. Wanyenze also noted that; “We had initially scored about 50% in Human Resources in the previous assessment but now the last assessment put us at 100%. But we need to continue to learn and so we appreciate that excellent contribution, all those great policies, it’s a reason we score highly. It is very important for us to attract money and continue to have more funders come to us but we must tighten up the loopholes within the policies and be able to implement them.”
She commended Prof. Serwadda for the great leadership of the committee and for working with humility. “We really appreciate your work. You have done a great job and I really like that you have had a good end-game. I hope you will keep around so that you continue to support Dr. Musoke and his team so that we can continue to add to the good works that you started, but also reach out and support us in the office of the Dean and Management so that we can continue moving the school to the next level.”
“I don’t take smooth handovers for granted and I almost feel emotional when I see a smooth handover. This is a special moment for seeing that after 13 years, we have a smooth handover to the next generation of leaders for the School,” Dr. Wanyenze said.
She urged Dr. Musoke to ensure professionalism, ethics, integrity for research capacity building. She emphasized the need for good administration, good management.
“If there is anyone thing, I would like to leave behind myself in this School, is that we must learn to be good managers, we must learn and be good administrators because ultimately we cannot manage our projects that we are funded to implement if we are not good at those things,” She advanced.
To the grants team, the Deans said; “We are the leaders in terms of ensuring that we have a solid grants management, infrastructure, systems that can help us. The key is going to be on how we implement our policies. We must lead by example.”
She equally hailed the grants secretariat for being outstanding and excellent at the job they do.
What others say
Dr. Lynn Atuyambe, Associate Professor at MakSPH thanked the out-going Chair for dedicated service, keeping the committee together for 13 years.
“In an emotional special way, I really would like to thank the administration and specifically the Dean and Professor Serwadda for a job well done. No wonder, you are moving higher and higher at national and global levels. We really want to emulate you as much as possible for the inspiring leadership and all the achievements,” Dr. Atuyambe said.
Dr. Victoria Nankabirwa in equal measure hailed Prof. Serwadda’s exceptional leadership, citing that they had learned a lot from him and his leadership.
“We are very grateful to you Professor Serwadda for the foundation. We are also grateful to the secretariat. It is true that this actually one of the best secretariats that I have seen. We are thankful to the Dean who is very active in many things particularly with this committee, including the Small Grants.,” Dr. Nankabirwa.
Dr. David Guwatudde, a Professor and Co-chair of the incoming Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee thanked Professor Serwadda for the great leadership exhibited on the committee since 2008. Prof. Guwatudde, who also happens to have been a member of the Grants Committee since its inception, also hailed the Dean for advocating for handing over to the younger generation and making sure it happens.
Article originally published on MakSPH website
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Business & Management
From risk to resilience: Increasing insurance uptake among farmers in rural Uganda
Published
17 hours agoon
May 30, 2025By
Mak Editor
By Dr. Aisha Nanyiti
Poor households in low-income countries face numerous risks, from extreme weather events to illness and crop failure. With limited savings and assets, even small shocks can have devastating consequences on welfare. While formal insurance products can potentially help mitigate these risks, their uptake remains remarkably low among rural smallholder farmers, who instead primarily rely on informal risk-sharing networks. This pattern persists despite evidence suggesting that informal insurance mechanisms provide incomplete coverage against shocks. These shocks translate into shortfalls in income and consumption (Karlan et al. 2014, Morduch 1999).
Studying the impact of insurance on farmers’ economic behaviour
In Nanyiti and Pamuk (2025), we focus on smallholder farmers in rural Uganda and examine how different insurance arrangements affect their economic behaviour and decision-making. Uganda provides an ideal setting to explore these questions, as only 1% of adults have formal insurance coverage, despite 67% of households depending on agriculture for their livelihoods. By comparing behaviour under formal insurance (provided by registered companies) versus informal insurance (peer-to-peer transfers), we gain insights into why formal insurance uptake remains low and how farmers respond to different risk management options.
Using a real effort task experiment, we investigate whether the incentives created by these different insurance arrangements influence productivity and risk management decisions. Our findings reveal important behavioural responses that help explain observed patterns in insurance uptake and suggest potential approaches for improving the design and adoption of formal insurance products. We find that farmers exerted less effort under informal insurance but not under formal insurance coverage, and increased their level of formal insurance coverage after experiencing a bad outcome.
Dr. Aisha Nanyiti is a Lecturer at the School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences, Makerere University
General
Directorate of Graduate Equips Schools and Colleges with Training in Philosophy of Methods
Published
1 week agoon
May 22, 2025By
Mak Editor
By Moses Lutaaya
The Directorate of Graduate Training at Makerere University has equipped several Senior ranking lecturers with expert knowledge in a Training of Trainers’ workshop on “Philosophy of Methods”.
In his remarks at the opening of a 3-day training workshop at Level4 Conference Hall – Senate Building, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “The teaching of Philosophy of Methods gives all participants the fundamentals to extend knowledge to other learners, hence its importance in upholding the Makerere University values.”
Kikooma urged and challenged the participants to also attend and actively participate in the follow up of learners’ training of students, stating that the PhD students need support as the directorate continues to coordinate the curriculum of PhD by-research that was approved by the senate recently.
“To holistically implement the senate approved PhD curriculum, we are coordinating capacity building trainings of all stake holders in a structured approach with the different units of the University. Many more trainings including Training of Trainers in advanced research methods course are on the way.”
He further urged the participants to be intentional in their teaching profession and in whatever they were doing, adding “Apart from focusing on practices as teachers and researchers, we can engage in wider philosophical debates in our research areas so that we are relevant in the society and in the empowerment of PhD research students.”
The participants for the Philosophy of Methods training were from College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University Business School among others.
During the same training, Dr. Dickson Kanakulya stressed the need to train senior lecturers in the Philosophy of Methods, saying, “The biggest connection is that societal problems require concrete research to find solutions. Our challenge in Africa is that we employ a short barrow approach to find solutions to problems. This cannot work. We need consistent researchers to solve problems. Lasting solutions to societal issues can only be got through training such as Philosophy of Methods, where researchers come up with new models for societal solutions.”

Dr. Kanakulya said that Makerere University remains the biggest research University in Africa and philosophy of Methods helps to come up with good research tools that produce good research outputs. “Research has shown that the higher the number of PhD researchers in any given country, the higher the levels of development of that country e.g. the USA, China etc., adding that research is not limited to only medicinal or agricultural related issues.”
He said philosophy of methods, encourages philosophical creativity in research, “It is meant to bring out philosophical generation of concepts, theories and ideas. It is meant to encourage students to question the existing philosophical assumptions and status quo in a given field of knowledge such that new philosophical concepts are created.”
For successful rollout of government programs like the National Development Plan 4, Dr. Kanakulya said that Philosophy of Methods training needs to be integrated into such systems. “Philosophy of Methods focuses on ethical thinking aspects. For example, for a better rollout of the Parish Development Model, we need implementers to be ethical.” He added.
Prof. Sulait Tumwiine, the associate Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at MUBS said, “This is a discussion where new ideas are shared to guide and gauge applicability in the current knowledge diversity coupled with lots of technological development including Artificial Intelligence and Chat GPT.”
He added, “As professors of Universities, we need to understand how we leverage on what comes up so that it does not take our space, but also appreciate how we can support growth of knowledge. The Philosophy of Methods training is the answer.”
Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo highlighted that Philosophy uses more of the critical mind than Science. He added that philosophy is more of speculation of the mind.
“Sustainability of philosophy Education encourages us to continue training. Philosophy being the oldest discipline retained special status in the academia as a pinnacle of pursuit of knowledge. All disciplines have major elements of philosophy citing examples in the philosophy of Mathematics and Physics.
Dr. Spire added, “If you do not understand philosophy, you cannot deeply investigate anything because philosophy is the reality of understanding everything. Philosophy is the basis of understanding what knowledge is and how it is arrived at.”
Also participating in the workshop was Prof. Joseph Ntaayi from MUBS, in his remarks he said PhD students need the philosophy of methods training to understand how to best to create knowledge. He added that ontological and epistemological questions that lead to good research design methods can only be answered by this training.
Dr. Robert Kakuru, a Lecturer in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences said that the Philosophy of Methods training is needed by every graduate student as well as supervisors to critically determine the choice of methods to use in academic research. For example, “If one wants to use a questionnaire as an interview approach, one should understand, why that approach and yet without this training, the why cannot be answered.” He added.
The Philosophy of Methods training was organized by Directorate of Graduate Training with funding support from the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA).
Research
Uganda’s National ID Delivers $1.35 for Every $1 Invested
Published
2 weeks agoon
May 19, 2025
KAMPALA – The National Digital ID (NID) has significantly transformed Stella Nakazibwe’s role as a SACCO Administrator. “In my day-to-day work, I use my National ID to carry out financial transactions in the bank. Without it, I can’t access funds,” she says, her voice filled with a quiet confidence. “Now, I also use it to register for my school. You can’t sit for ICPAU papers without registering, and a National ID is essential.”
Nakazibwe’s story represents the promise of Uganda’s ambitious National ID system, launched in 2014 with the aim of streamlining government services, enhancing security, and boosting financial inclusion, with 97 percent believing it is essential.
A sound national ID system should meet key principles of inclusion, design, and governance, according to the World Bank. However, a 2017 study by the US government’s Center for Digital Development, formerly USAID, found that many digital ID systems are fragmented and focused on short-term goals, lacking clear evidence of their long-term social and economic benefits.
Ugandan law requires all citizens aged 16 and above to obtain a National ID linked to their demographic and biometric data. To support this, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) launched a mass registration campaign nationwide, followed by smaller drives to capture more people. The requirement for SIM card registration further boosted this effort, making telecom companies major users of the National ID database.
But a new study, “Understanding the Benefits, Costs, and Challenges of the National Identification System in Uganda,” published in Digital Society, reveals a more nuanced picture, stressing both the successes and the persistent challenges in ensuring that the National ID truly benefits all Ugandans.
The research, led by Roy William Mayega from Makerere University School of Public Health’s Resilient Africa Network (MakSPH-RAN), surveyed nearly 3,000 Ugandans and analyzed government data to assess the system’s impact. Other researchers were Dr. Dorothy Okello, Christine Muhumuza, Nathan Tumuhamye, Julius Ssentongo, Dr. Allen Kabagenyi Mulerwa, Brandon Kwesiga, Dr. Agnes Nyabigambo, Anthony Ssebagereka, and Professor William Bazeyo.

The findings confirm that the National ID has been a worthwhile investment for the government. The study estimates that for every US$1 invested in the NID system, the return on investment is US$1.35. These savings stem from reduced fraud in social programs and more efficient management of public funds.
But beyond the numbers, the research also illuminates the human experiences behind the National ID. For many, like Nakazibwe, the ID has unlocked opportunities previously out of reach. It has become a key to accessing mobile money services, opening bank accounts, and participating more fully in the formal economy.
However, the research also shows that not everyone is benefiting equally. The study found that while 94% of Ugandans sought to register for an NID, nearly one in five still don’t have one. And those who are most likely to be left behind are often the most vulnerable.
“We found that reasons for not having a National ID were more prevalent in the lowest wealth quintile,” explains Mayega. “This suggests that the poorest Ugandans face greater hurdles in accessing the system, whether it’s due to challenges in navigating the registration process or the cost of transportation. Illiteracy was also a key contributor.”
The most common reasons for not having a National ID included incomplete registration (33.7%), not registering (21.2%), lost IDs (19.9%), failure to collect IDs (9.4%), and slow processing (7.7%). Women were more likely to mention long queues and registration costs, while men cited ID loss and non-citizenship. Urban residents more often pointed to lost IDs and slow processes, while rural participants highlighted limited registration time.

The study also uncovered concerns about data privacy and the potential for misuse of personal information. Many Ugandans express concerns about the potential use of their National IDs for surveillance or fraudulent activities. These anxieties point to the need for greater transparency and robust data protection measures.
From the study, the common National ID errors included misspelled names (45.0%), incorrect or missing dates of birth (16.6%), unclear fingerprints (8.9%), and improper signatures (3.6%). Of the 169 participants with errors, only 28.5% attempted corrections, and just a third succeeded, often after waiting an average of six months. Most (77.1%) described the correction process as difficult, with transport costs from 0 to 400,000 shillings and other related expenses around 525,000 shillings (US\$ 145.8).
To ensure that the National ID lives up to its full potential, the researchers recommend a series of concrete steps: launching targeted registration drives to reach those who have been left behind, simplifying the registration process, strengthening data protection measures, and expanding the use of National IDs in government programs.
“It’s crucial that the government addresses these concerns and builds trust in the system,” says the Executive Director of the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), Gilbert Sendugwa.
In Uganda, a National ID is more than just identification—it’s a key to accessing rights and services, Sendugwa explains.
“However, the issue of data security persists. For example, a woman in Ntungamo District faced legal trouble after her stolen ID was misused to secure a Parish Development Model loan before tighter controls were in place. The government must do more to teach people to protect their IDs and reassure them that their data is used to empower, not control, them,” he says.

Of the participants with National IDs, 7.7% (186 people) reported they had lost them, with higher rates among women (9.1%), urban residents (9.7%), and those in the lowest wealth quintile (9.3%). However, only 28.5% of those who lost their IDs attempted to replace (8.6%) or recover (19.9%) them, with mixed success. While 75% of those seeking replacements succeeded, only 45.4% of those trying to recover lost IDs managed to do so. About half of those attempting replacements described the process as difficult, with some waiting over three months.
Millions of Ugandans risk being excluded from essential services without national digital IDs, according to the Collaboration on International ICT for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA). Vulnerable groups like older persons in poverty and those with disabilities, who often struggle to reach NIRA offices for enrollment, face the greatest challenges. Without IDs, they are unable to access senior citizens’ grants, healthcare, land titles, social security benefits, driving permits, SIM card registration, bank accounts, passports, and voter registration.
“Uganda’s digital ID system needs to ensure the necessary safeguards for both data protection and access to essential services; otherwise, it risks not only entrenching exclusion and inequality but also increasing concerns about personal data privacy and protections. Gaps in solid data protection can result in discrimination, profiling, surveillance of data subjects, and identity theft,” says Juliet Nanfuka, a digital rights advocate and communications officer at CIPESA.

Uganda’s experience with the National ID system provides helpful lessons for other African countries aiming to leverage the power of digital identification. As NIRA prepares for a nationwide mass ID renewal and registration campaign on May 27, 2025, the redesigned IDs are expected to feature enhanced security technologies like Multiple Laser Images (MLI), Machine-Readable Zones (MRZ), QR codes, and 2D barcodes. These upgrades are intended to improve identity verification and expand access to digital services.
Researchers argue that by addressing citizen concerns, ensuring equitable access, and genuinely listening to the voices of its people, Uganda can transform the National ID from a mere card into a critical lifeline for all.
Davidson Ndyabahika is a Health and Science Communication Specialist, School of Public Health, Makerere University
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