On September 25^th 2025, the Government of Uganda officially handed over to Makerere University one square mile of land in Banda Sub County, Kyankwanzi District, for the development of a veterinary, animal husbandry, and biosecurity innovations and training facility.

The land, part of Ranch 16, was allocated to the University by the President in 1989 for the establishment of demonstration and experimental modern facilities for Agricultural-related training. Hon. Sam Mayanja, the Minister of State for Lands, officially handed over the one square mile to Makerere University Chancellor Dr. Crispus Kiyonga in the presence of residents, local authorities, and representatives from the Uganda Land Commission, Land Protection Unit and the Office of the President.

An Agro-Industrial Park will be developed on the land as an extension of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). This initiative will advance the broader University strategy to decentralize and expand its academic and research infrastructure to better contribute towards achieving national development goals. With Makerere University on ground, the site is set to transform into a hub of innovations and service delivery for livestock farmers across the region, delivering academic and economic value through improved veterinary services, livestock research, job creation among other benefits.

WHAT NEXT

Eager to put the land to use, Makerere University is already taking steps to operationalize the site and execute the project in line with government directives. As the University gears up to use the land, the Uganda Land Commission will open the boundaries and process a new land title in their name with Makerere University as the designated user.

More than 35 staff from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have begun a week-long training in Essentials of Public Investment Management at Makerere University. The training, which opened on September 23, 2025, is being hosted at the Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence in the School of Economics.

The program was officially opened by Ms. Esther Ayebare, Ag. Assistant Commissioner in the Projects Analysis and Public Investment Department at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), who represented the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury. She was joined by Prof. Edward Bbaale, Director of the PIM Centre of Excellence and Principal Investigator of the project.

In her remarks, Ms. Ayebare highlighted the government’s continued efforts to improve the quality of public investments. “This training is meant to build your capacity in Public Investment Management and equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective government project preparation,” she said. She added that the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with Makerere University’s School of Economics, established the PIM Centre of Excellence to strengthen MDAs’ ability to conceptualize, prepare, and implement projects that deliver value for money.

Prof. Bbaale welcomed participants to the training and commended MoFPED for its sustained financial and technical support to the Centre. “This training marks the beginning of your journey to becoming experts in public investment management. Over the next five days, you will gain not only theoretical knowledge but also practical experience in preparing real-world projects in sectors such as health, education, water, energy, and transport,” he said.

The training attracted over 35 participants from different MDAs. Prof. Bbaale also appreciated the trainers, who are drawn from Makerere University, the National Planning Authority, and MoFPED, for their dedication to knowledge sharing and building the next generation of experts in public investment management.

At the end of the program, participants will be awarded a dual certificate by Makerere University and the Ministry of Finance, recognizing their successful completion of the course.

Beyond training, the PIM Centre of Excellence continues to play a central role in research, policy advisory, and outreach. Recently, it organized the second Public Investment Management Conference in August 2025, focusing on overcoming implementation barriers to strengthen fiscal sustainability.

The Centre remains committed to working with MDAs and other stakeholders to ensure that Uganda’s public investments deliver maximum value for money and contribute meaningfully to national development.

This is to call for applications from pre-final year male students of agricultural-related Bachelor’s degree programmes at Makerere University and Busitema University to participate in the Israel Agrostudies Apprenticeship programme 2025/2026.

All applicant must meet the following requirements:

1. Must NEVER have been to Israel under the Agrostudies Programme.
2. Must not have a criminal record.
3. Must be Ugandan Citizens who will not be older than 30 years by end September 2025.
4. Must submit a copy of their Ugandan National Identity as proof of citizenship and age.
5. Must have completed the pre-final year of their degree programme, i.e., they must have completed the second year for a three-year programme, third year for a four- year programme, and fourth year for a five-year programme.
6. Must have a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.80 WITH NO MORE THAN one outstanding retake at the time of application. Submission of an up-to-date academic testimonial to this effect is a must.
7. Must be in good health and must be able to pass medical examination for general body and dental health, and have a Body Mass Index between 17 to 30. The applicants shall undergo tests for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Dental, and general body check up. Proof of completion of COVID-19 vaccination is also a must.
8. Must be physically fit as a prerequisite to performing intensive practical farm work in Israel.
9. Possession of an East African Passport valid until at least the end of December 2026 will be an added advantage. Applicants should attach a copy of the datat page of the passport (i.e., the page with the photograph and details of the passport holder) as proof of possession of a passport.
10. Must have permission from the parent or guardian to withdraw from their degree programme for the duration of the apprenticeship programme and to re-integrate on return from Israel, in accordance with the relevant university policies and procedures.
11. Should be able to pay the programme fees after being pre-selected. Please note that due to increases in the costs of air tickets to Israel, medical examinations, and courier services for passports to and from Nairobi for visa processing, the programme fees for this year are expected to be higher than the $900 required for arrangements last year. The exact amount to be paid as program fees will be confirmed in due course.
12. Payments MUST ONLY be made into the designated Bank Account in the name of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University after confirmation of preselection by Management. Applicants are warned against making cash payments to anybody or anywhere else other than to the designated College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Bank account.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINE

The application form can be downloaded by following this link. The filled application forms together with all the supporting documents should be scanned and sent to email: agrostudies.caes[@]mak.ac.ug.

The deadline for submission is 5.00 PM on Wednesday 1st October 1st 2025.

For further inquiries, contact the programme coordinators on the following telephone
numbers: 0776-354777 / 0751-592061.

PLEASE NOTE:
I. Only successful applicants will be contacted

2. Management reserves the right to select the most suitable applicants
3. Before departure to Israel successful applicants will bring their parents to the
   University to confirm the parental consent for the applicants to participate in the
   programme
4. Use of political or other influences at any stage in this process will result in automatic disqualification of the applicant from the selection process.
5. Subsequent processing of applicants will be done at the discretion of management, which is not liable for the time lost from the academic programme, or funds spent on line items during processing of applications.
6. Applicants who deal with any other persons other than the two designated coordinators of this programme on matters concerning the programme will do so at their own risk. Neither Makerere University nor the coordinators will be held accountable for any loss incurred by the applicants during the fraudulent process.

PRINCIPAL
College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences