Agriculture & Environment
Mak, GoU &World Bank Partner to Build Capacity in Public Investment Management
By Jane Anyango
About 20 staff from the School of Economics, the National Planning Authority (NPA) and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) convened at Essella Country Hotel in Wakiso district for a one-week (13th -17th September, 2021) Training of Trainers (ToT) to build capacity in Public Investment Management (PIM).
The training was officially opened by the Principal, Makerere University College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali on behalf of the University Management.
The training was organized by the World Bank-funded Makerere University Centre of Excellence in Public Investment Management (PIM CoE) in the School of Economics (SoE), College of Business and Management Studies (CoBAMS).
The training was conducted by paired up facilitators from Government of Uganda (GoU) and Makerere University who have built capacity in the area of PIM system and processes and moved to Queens University in Canada while others have built their capacities locally.
The training emanates from a diagnostic study undertaken by MoFPED and the World Bank in conjunction with School of Economics where weaknesses in the Public Investment Management Systems and Processes were identified.
Part of the weaknesses identified were lack of capacity in project appraisals which is a complex analysis that involves rigorous economic analysis using conversion factors and shadow prices, which are not conventional in the daily economics known.
Some of the aspects covered during this Training of Trainers included: An overview of the PIM System and processes in Uganda, Project Concept Note Presentation, Project Profile presentation, Public Private Partnerships. Integrated Bank of Projects, Integrated Project Appraisal and Economic Analysis of Projects.
The Principal Investigator Makerere University PIM CoE Prof. Edward Bbaale who is also Dean School of Economics said, as a result of the glaring challenges, interventions were mapped out to establish the PIM CoE that brought on board the Ministry of Finance, the National Planning Authority and the University in a collaborative initiative.
“Out of that, we competed and received a grant from the World Bank to establish a PIM CoE with the mandate to undertake training, research and advisory services in the area of Public Investment Management.
This training is part of the mandate for which the PIM CoE is established. We are trying to increase on a number of trainers. Initially four staff from the School of Economics have undergone training organized by the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank in the area of Public Investment Management and we feel that the four are not enough to undertake this type of training.
This type of training we are having is a training of trainers with the main intention of increasing the number of trainers in Public Investment Management. Thanks to the World Bank for the grant that is delivering the output and also thanks to the Ministry of Finance for the great partnership”, Prof. Bbaale said.
While officially opening the training, the Principal CoBAMS, Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali thanked the management of PIM CoE for the numerous activities they have been undertaking over the past one year.
The Principal appreciated the entire management of MoFPED for the support extended to Makerere University, and trainers and participants for interesting themselves in this training program.
“When this initiative was started a couple of years ago, it seemed to be a farfetched idea but I am extremely happy that we can now see some tangible results. Thank you so much for remaining committed and I really hope and look forward to a lot more.
I appreciate the unwavering support from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. They have been participating in the training and playing a key role in having the PIM CoE get to where we are.
The support we got from the World Bank was with a very strong backing from the Ministry of finance. So, we thank you so much and we can only look forward to a stronger collaboration and partnership”, Assoc. Prof. Hisali appreciated.
Dr. Hisali described the PIM CoE as an important initiative whose strategic feet is located within the strategic focus of the college for the next 5-10 years.
“We have taken steps to establish flagship activities. Our focus currently is to have at least one flagship activity at each school. These flagship activities are going to be the main vehicle for engagement with policy makers out there and the community.
At the School of Economics we started with the Centre for Macro-economic Modelling and works are ongoing and this is yet another initiative that can fit within these flagship activities which takes us to the community and policy makers”, the Principal said.
Over the next five to ten years, Prof. Hisali reported that, the college will be keenly focused on enhancing the capacity of all staff including academic, administrative and support staff.
He said, starting the last Financial Year, the college rolled out an initiative requiring every academic staff to pick at the minimum of two new methodological areas.
The college he said trained staff in Impact Evaluation and has been running a modules in Computer Programming and Object Oriented Programming in Stata. In addition Dr. Hisali said, the college is also running a series of modules in Economic Modelling, Advanced Time Series while the School of Business will be commencing capacity building in Event Study Modelling.
Dr. Hisali said that with the support from the Ministry of Finance, NPA and other players in the public and private sectors, there is an ongoing effort to start a graduate degree program in PIMS and to integrate some of these materials into the university curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The Principal advised that as government and university embark on this training, it should not be looked at as the end in itself but rather something going to equip all the partners to make bigger contributions.
One of the things Prof. Hisali proposed was the need to take up the idea of a policy lab where on a quarterly basis, the academia, Ministry of Finance, NPA and other stakeholders in PIM should be able to sit together, pick up a topical issue and take off half a day and deliberate on it fully and either make policy suggestions or agree on areas that might require further study in order to come up with meaningful policy interventions in this field.
The second idea proposed by the Principal was getting students on board as the easiest way of getting the multipliers. Dr. Hisali advised that as the university integrates the materials in the curriculum and wait for the degree program, there can be a shortcut where graduate students are encouraged to take up topics for their dissertations and encouraged to pick and use these important tools and in that way, the multiplier will increase and become bigger.
The other issue on taking up multipliers according to Dr. Hisali would be undertaking some studies like computation of shadows and parameters .In this regard, he said, the university can again collaborate with the Ministry to fund a few of these studies in groups.
Dr. Hisali reported that the college has been supporting some research and publications for the last five years but it is now having conversations on the possibility of changing the modality of that support and focus on putting together those resources to support research projects that will be using some of the new tools being learnt.
“So we will be moving away from the old approach to a new dispensation where we look into the methodology you are using and once convinced that it fits within these new areas we are trying to build capacity then we support. So the little facilitation at the college level will be biased towards initiatives like this and then definitely the tools of economic analysis that you are picking through this training will be one of those areas we want to support,” Prof. Hisali said.
Dr. Hisali expressed the university commitment to continue supporting and to ensure that these initiatives succeed saying, management was already in discussion with the ministry to ensure that the PIM CoE can be sustained not to end with the World Bank support.
The Commissioner for Projects and Public Investments in the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Hannington Ashaba said Public Investment Management largely involve system, institutions, processes that government uses to appraise public investments to ensure that only tangible and viable projects are implemented to give better returns and to make sure that they contribute to the national development agenda.
Commissioner Ashaba said government has been implementing a number of PIM reforms and notable among them is to build capacity across government to ensure that they have in-country capacity that enables government ministries to do feasibility studies such that only viable projects can be included in the budget and government plan.
“It is on the basis of that that we think that working Makerere University School of Economics will help churn a large number of professionals in PIMS that will be very impactful in supporting government especially under the National Development Plan III which is focusing on core infrastructure projects that will propel the country to a middle class economy”, Mr. Ashaba said.
The commissioner said some of the challenges government is facing in PIMS go beyond capacity to include the fact that Uganda as a developing country has resource constraints. Ashaba told participants that the money is not enough so, it must be rationalized and allocated to only projects with bigger impact that will generate growth and revenue to repair the national debt.
Mr. Ashaba said besides the budget constraints, there is need to ensure that government is working as a whole to solve the coordination issue in the way projects are identified, prepared and studied such that by the time a decision to undertake a project is reached, it is really a project well-grounded to guarantee proper implementation, coordination and completion on time not to escalate costs.
“ Makerere is coming in at the right time when we are deepening the PIM reforms and we think that the academia especially the School of Economics which is setting up a PIM CoE will ensure that some of the curriculum includes PIMS aspects to ensure that graduates churned out are clearly well grounded in public investment.
But also two, we have a gap of evidence around public investment. So, if Makerere could help in undertaking topical studies, that would help generate evidence on how investment contribute to growth and also may be identify most of impactful projects where we need to deepen some of the interventions around PIMS” the commissioner stated.
Mr. Ashaba was also optimistic that the University PIM CoE will not only help government in capacity building and conducting topical studies and research but, also come in handy to act as independent reviewers of government so that they can give independent advice on viability of some of the projects so that they can assist government in taking decisions on some public investments.
The Manager Makerere University PIM CoE Dr. Willy Kagarura said the aim of the center is to train people locally and internally so as to improve what is delivered to the students to be relevant on the job market.
“Four people have been on this training with the Ministry of Finance. We want to extend our capacity at our school to deliver the mantle and train people in government offices and our students so that they don’t face challenges when out of the university.
We are continuing to update ourselves to international levels and in October 2021, we are supposed to go to Queens University but some four people have been admitted to attend the Queens University training so that we build capacity at that level, then our graduates here will be skilled continuously up the international standards.” Dr. Kagarura explained.
Another centre mandate according to Dr. Kagarura is to develop short and long term Public Investment Management curriculum and materials. He said, with the support of the Ministry of Finance, the short term courses, materials and curriculum used in the ToT training were developed.
Dr. Kagarura also reported that as part of the mandate, the center has trained government practitioners in Munyonyo and was now partnering with Ministry of Finance in partly delivering that.
“In conducting research, two impact evaluation studies have commenced and there is another study to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on Public Investment Management framework in Uganda. The other one is to roll out training and awareness to other universities where the trainees will be used to go to other universities”, Dr. Kagarura added.
Dr. Kagarura also reported that the centre has established an office for sustainably managing the trainings and was in touch with the Institute of Public Management to have an accreditation as an approved training entity so that once people train, they do exams from the Institute of Public Management and get a certificate. This will easy recruitment of interested people and service delivery.
Besides the funder’s conditions and the COVID-19 Lock down that partly delayed the commencement of the center activities, Dr. Kagurura decried the tedious process in the PPDA that hampered the center activities. He said the Centre activities planned to start in 2017 delayed till September 2020 due to multiple approvals in the PPDA.
“We need to establish the loss incurred through this PPDA processes to our economy. If I can get a laptop at the market at shs 3 million, through PPDA it will take a year in hustles and approvals and get it at shs.9 million or lowest at Shs. 7million, this is just a laptop, what about the roads! So processes are a problem”, Dr. Kagarura submitted.
He said despite the COVID-19 lock down, the trainings were conducted online with interruptions of connectivity. Dr. Kagarura called upon the, donors, University, college, Ministry of finance, NPA and other partners for support to ensure the centre is sustained beyond the World Bank funding.
Jane Anyango is the Principal Communication Officer, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES)
Agriculture & Environment
Master’s Scholars Engage Lwengo and Rakai Communities to Inform Research Conceptualisation
By Myres Ndyabawe
Makerere University Master’s Scholars under the Africa Climate Collaborative (ACC), an initiative supported by the Mastercard Foundation, undertook a reconnaissance visit to Lwengo and Rakai districts in preparation of their academic research engagements.
The visit was intended to ensure that the research is informed by local realities, priorities, and perspectives, thereby enabling the scholars to undertake work that is responsive to and aligned with the needs of the communities it seeks to serve.
Accompanied by members of the ACC Program Delivery Team, Scholars engaged district technical staff, farmer cooperative representatives, and community members before visiting selected farmers across the two districts.
These interactions provided an opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the climate change-related challenges affecting local livelihoods and communities, thereby helping to inform the design and implementation of their research activities.
Lwengo District Agricultural Officer, Peter Bamwesigye welcomed the Africa Climate Collaborative staff and the Scholars in the district, pledging support for all initiatives that will be implemented in the district under the Africa Climate Collaborative.
“We want such good news and welcome such interventions that transform our communities. As a district, we believe the research conducted by the students will bring innovations that will improve the lives of the people we serve.” Bamwesigye said.
Community Challenges Requiring Research and Innovation
Richard Ayesiga, the manager of Kyazanga Farmers’ Cooperative Society, which brings together 1,088 farmers, noted that prolonged dry spells and limited knowledge on climate resilience have reduced farmer productivity in the area, urging students to provide solutions to farmers through their research.
In Rakai District, the Senior Agricultural Officer, Ivan Bwow, led the team on a field visit to Lake Kijjanebalola. He explained that the proliferation of invasive water weeds has disrupted fishing activities and restricted access to the lake by other users, adversely affecting livelihoods, food security, and household incomes in surrounding communities.
He further observed that some parts of Rakai District are affected by saline water, which limits the viability of irrigation. This challenge has contributed to increased encroachment on swamps and wetlands as communities search for alternative sources of water and productive land, placing additional pressure on fragile ecosystems.
The other challenges that were noted across the two districts include;
- Poor waste management
- Plastic pollution
- Crop pests and diseases
- Mis-use of artificial fertilizer that has affected soil health.
Research and Innovation to Inform Climate Solutions
Research is a core requirement for the attainment of a Master’s degree at Makerere University. The Scholars, who receive comprehensive scholarships under the ACC to pursue Master’s degrees in various disciplines, are expected to undertake research in Lwengo and Rakai districts during their second year of study.
During the engagement, participants raised concerns about the common practice of researchers collecting data from communities without returning to share the findings and recommendations.
Responding to these concerns on behalf of ACC, Mr. Antonny Tugaineyo, Principal Coordinator of the Climate Resilience Support Centre (CRSC), reassured stakeholders that the Program is committed to ensuring that research findings are disseminated to local communities and relevant stakeholders.
He noted that the evidence generated will be used to inform policy development, strengthen decision-making, and support innovative solutions to climate-related challenges affecting Lwengo and Rakai districts.
“The fourth pillar of the Africa Climate Collaborative is Networks, Policy and Learning. Our work does not end with conducting research. We are committed to engaging stakeholders at all levels to ensure that the knowledge generated benefits the communities that contribute to and participate in the research process,” Mr. Tugaineyo said.
Agriculture & Environment
Policy Brief: Strengthening Climate Resilience and Livelihoods in Uganda’s Refugee and Host Communities
Uganda’s refugee-hosting and vulnerable communities in Kyangwali (Kikuube district, part of former greater Hoima district) and Kasese district face severe risks from climate change, population pressure, and resource dependence, undermining livelihoods, food security, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) outcomes. The Makerere-Cambridge project Communities of Hosts and Refugees Transitioning to Climate Resilience (CHART-CR) engaged communities through participatory research to identify adaptive practices, infrastructure gaps, and actionable strategies to address these issues.
Our findings are that integrated interventions including community training hubs for capacity building, climate-resilient infrastructure, and participatory resource governance can strengthen resilience, protect livelihoods, prevent potential conflicts, and support sustainable development.
More information: https://chart-cr.org/.
Key Messages for Policy
- In Hoima District: Erratic rainfall patterns and prolonged dry spells are significantly affecting agricultural productivity and water availability, thereby threatening food security among refugees and vulnerable host communities.
- In Kasese District: Frequent floods and landslides are causing widespread disruption to agriculture, damaging infrastructure, and compromising food security and WASH services, especially for refugees and vulnerable host populations.
- Strengthening climate resilience requires combining infrastructure investments, community training, participatory governance, and livelihood support to address interconnected risks in food security, water, and sanitation.
- Refugee and host communities already demonstrate adaptive practices such as soil conservation, intercropping, and water-efficient farming which can be scaled and reinforced through participatory learning platforms.
- Women and children bear the brunt of water collection and household labor; inclusive strategies and equitable decision-making in WASH, agriculture, and resource management enhance both resilience and social equity.
- Investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, integrated community hubs for knowledge exchange and capacity building, and participatory governance could strengthen adaptive capacity, secure livelihoods, prevent societal conflicts between communities and protect health, education, and sustainable development outcomes.
1. Background
Uganda hosts one of Africa’s largest refugee populations under a progressive policy framework that promotes inclusion and self-reliance. Within this context, Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Hoima District accommodates approximately 155,000 residents, of whom 99.7% are refugees. Women and children constitute nearly 80% of the population, underscoring significant demographic vulnerabilities. Increasing population density, coupled with declining land availability per household, has intensified pressure on natural resources. This has contributed to environmental degradation and heightened exposure to recurrent droughts, thereby constraining agricultural productivity, worsening food insecurity, and increasing dependence on humanitarian assistance. The host communities suffer from the same environmental changes, and the fact that the refugee and host communities are managed separately add to suspiciousness between them that might lead to rising tensions and potential conflicts.
Similarly, Kasese District has an estimated 750,000 people who rely heavily on rain-fed subsistence agriculture, with over 85% of the population dependent on this livelihood system. The district is highly susceptible to climate-related hazards, including recurrent flooding, landslides, and droughts. These risks are particularly pronounced along River Nyamwamba and within the Kilembe mining areas, where environmental instability continues to undermine water and sanitation, infrastructure, disrupt livelihoods, and pose significant public health challenges. The convergence of climate variability, rapid population growth, and high dependence on natural resources creates a complex and reinforcing cycle of vulnerability affecting both refugee and host communities.
2. Methodology
The project Communities of Hosts and Refugees Transitioning to Climate Resilience (CHART-CR) through workshops was designed to generate evidence to these challenges and inform integrated policy and programming. The project focused on the interlinked dimensions of climate variability, food security, livelihoods, and water availability across diverse ecological contexts, including lowland refugee-hosting areas and mountainous, flood-prone regions. Implementation was undertaken through a collaborative partnership between Makerere University, the University of Cambridge, and the Cambridge-Africa Programme, with financial support from the Mastercard Foundation and Cambridge-Africa.
The CHART-CR Project adopted a participatory and inclusive research approach, engaging stakeholders comprising refugees, host community members, representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), and local government officials. Stakeholder selection prioritized gender balance, age diversity, and the inclusion of marginalized groups, including women, older persons, and persons with disabilities. Data collection employed included workshop discussions, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and field observations. This approach enabled the systematic capture of community perspectives alongside expert insights, generating context-specific, actionable evidence to inform policy and interventions aimed at strengthening climate resilience, food security, WASH systems, and sustainable livelihoods.
3. Climate Variability and Environmental Pressures Key Policy Issues
In Kyangwali, rainfall patterns have become increasingly erratic, with delayed rainy seasons and prolonged dry spells disrupting traditional planting and harvest cycles and significantly reducing yields. Deforestation associated with refugee settlement expansion has reduced soil moisture retention, biodiversity, and microclimate regulation, further undermining agricultural productivity.
In Kasese, floods from River Nyamwamba and recurring droughts threaten homes, crops, and infrastructure, displacing households and reducing agricultural yields. Both districts experience environmental degradation that exacerbates vulnerability to climate shocks.
Food Security and Livelihood Constraints
Shrinking per capita land provision, declining seed quality, limited access to farm inputs, and weak storage infrastructure constrain crop diversification and household self-reliance in both districts. Post-harvest losses and limited market access reduce household income, heightening vulnerability. Refugee-host interactions, including land rental, knowledge exchange, and market engagement, enhance resilience but might also create perceptions of inequality due to differences in institutional support.
Water Access and availability Challenges
Communities face water scarcity and contamination from communal usage, poor sanitation, and agricultural runoff. Women and children bear the primary burden of water collection, often traveling long distances, which reduces labor productivity and school attendance. In Kasese district, low latrine coverage, open defecation, and inadequate waste management increase exposure to waterborne diseases. Floods and landslides on Kasese further compromise water quality and availability and thus increase health risks.
Adaptive Capacities
Despite these challenges, communities demonstrate strong local knowledge and adaptive practices, including informal water management, soil conservation, intercropping, and water-efficient farming techniques. Participatory approaches, joint training in climate-smart agriculture, and collaborative livelihood initiatives foster social cohesion and knowledge sharing between refugees and host communities. Existing leadership structures, community awareness, and partial infrastructure provide a foundation for scaling resilience interventions.
4. Conclusions and Policy Directions
Climate variability, population pressure, and resource dependence significantly undermine livelihoods, food security, and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) outcomes in Kyangwali and Kasese. Communities possess valuable experiential knowledge, adaptive practices, and social cohesion; however, structural constraints including weak infrastructure, limited financing, low technical capacity, and fragmented coordination – limit the effectiveness of local strategies.
To strengthen resilience, integrated interventions are required that bridge humanitarian response and long-term development, institutionalize participatory and gender-sensitive approaches, build human, social, and institutional capital, and align local priorities with technical expertise and policy frameworks. Key policy measures include:
- Establish and strengthen integrated community resilience centers that serve as hubs for capacity building, knowledge exchange, and practical training in climate-smart agriculture, environmental conservation, food storage, water management, and market access. These centers should also promote inclusive learning, skills development, and cooperative enterprises that support both refugee and host communities in developing sustainable livelihoods.
- Invest in Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Upgrade WASH systems, construct protected wells, boreholes, piped water networks, and communal storage facilities, and restore riverbanks through tree planting and drainage maintenance to reduce soil erosion and contamination.
- Promote Community-Led Resource Governance: Support participatory water, sanitation, and agricultural management, including monitoring systems for adaptive learning, equitable resource allocation, and gender-sensitive decision-making.
These combined strategies will enhance adaptive capacity, secure sustainable development outcomes, and protect livelihoods, food security, health, and education for Uganda’s most vulnerable populations.
5. Call to Action
The experiences and lessons learnt from Hoima (Kyangwali Refugee Settlement and adjacent host communities) and Kasese (refugee and host communities living around River Nyamwamba) under the CHART-CR project highlight the urgent need for integrated, locally informed, and coordinated resilience strategies. By aligning technical expertise, policy frameworks, and community knowledge, stakeholders can enhance adaptive capacity, secure sustainable development outcomes, and protect livelihoods, food security, health, and education for Uganda’s most vulnerable populations. Further details about the CHART-CR project, its research, and outcomes can be accessed at https://chart-cr.org/
About the Authors
 Dr. Gabriel Karubanga Lecturer, Makerere University, Uganda |  Dr Irit Katz, Assoc. Prof. of Architecture, University of Cambridge, UK |  Mr. Frank Mafumo, PhD student, Makerere University, Uganda |
Important Contacts
- Dr. Gabriel Karubanga, Lecturer, Department of Extension and Innovation Studies, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda. Tel. +256782929971; email: gabriel.karubanga@mak.ac.ug
- Dr Irit Katz, Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge; email: ik300@cam.ac.uk
- Mr. Frank Mafumo, PhD student, Department of Extension and Innovation Studies, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda. Tel. +256774171519; email: mafumofrank2020@gmail.com
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Agriculture & Environment
Prof. Isa Kabenge Officially Hands Over Leadership of DABE to Prof. Joshua Wanyama
Prof. Isa Kabenge has officially handed over leadership of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (DABE) at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University to Prof. Joshua Wanyama. Prof. Kabenge has served as Head of Department since 2021, providing four years of leadership marked by institutional growth, strengthened partnerships, and expanded academic output. Prof. Wanyama will serve as Head of Department for a four-year term, effective 6th May 2026.
The handover ceremony, held in the Conference Hall of the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering (SFTNB) on 4th June 2026, was attended by key university officials and members of staff from the department. These included the Director of Human Resources, Makerere University, represented by the CAES Principal Human Resource Officer, Mr. Julius Lebo; the Dean of SFTNB, Dr. Julia Kigozi; and the Head of Internal Audit, represented by the College Bursar, Ms. Susan Kyamulabi.
Remarks and Appreciation by the Dean
In her remarks, Dr. Julia Kigozi commended Prof. Kabenge for his dedicated service and exemplary leadership. She appreciated him for the cordial working relationship, professionalism, and steadfast commitment to institutional development. She particularly acknowledged his efforts in initiating and strengthening partnerships with both local and international partners, which have significantly enhanced the department’s academic and research profile.
Dr. Kigozi congratulated Prof. Wanyama on his appointment and expressed confidence that he would build on the accomplishments of his predecessor.
Reflections from Prof. Kabenge
Prof. Kabenge expressed gratitude to the University Management, as well as the staff of DABE, for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the department over the past four years. He also acknowledged the support extended to him by the College and School leadership throughout his tenure.
“My time in office coincided with particularly challenging circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic and staff shortages. Despite these difficulties, I commend the resilience, dedication, and teamwork demonstrated by staff, which enabled the department to continue progressing. This experience has affirmed that DABE has an exceptional team with immense potential that can be leveraged to elevate the department to even greater heights,” he said. “It has been an honour to serve as Head of Department. As I step down, I do so with full confidence in the direction the department is taking.”
Prof. Kabenge encouraged staff to continue strengthening the culture of collaboration that has become a hallmark of the department, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary engagement. “Many of the issues the department addresses, such as water security and climate-smart agriculture, are complex and require diverse expertise and collaborative approaches,” he noted.
Prof. Kabenge pledged to continue supporting the department, particularly in the areas of research and collaboration.
Achievements registered
The overarching goal of DABE is to remain a leading center of excellence in agro-production and food systems within the region and across East Africa. The Department currently hosts approximately 315 students and offers a range of academic programmes, including the Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Water and Irrigation Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Bioprocessing Engineering, Master of Science in Agricultural Engineering, and a PhD in Agricultural Engineering.
Strengthened Research Profile
Prof. Kabenge leaves office at a time when the department has established a strong research profile, with academic staff producing more than 40 publications annually. Research within the department spans a wide range of thematic areas, including soil, water and irrigation engineering; bioprocess engineering; food processing, preservation and bio-based materials; nanotechnology and bioprocessing technologies for agriculture; artificial intelligence and engineering modelling; and power and machinery for sustainable agriculture. This growing research output has been complemented by an expanding network of collaborations that has strengthened the department’s capacity for innovation, knowledge exchange, and practical impact.
Infrastructure and Capacity Building
In addition, DABE has developed several practical training and research facilities, including a fabrication workshop at the Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK), aquaculture ponds, irrigation demonstration and experimental systems, post-harvest handling facilities such as refractive window dryers and hybrid solar dryers, and a water science laboratory currently under development. Many of these facilities have been established through research projects funded by both local and international partners.
The Department also hosts the Africa Water Quality Testing Fellowship, a capacity-building programme implemented in partnership with the Aquaya Institute. The fellowship trains students and early-career professionals in water quality monitoring, testing, and management through classroom instruction, laboratory practice, and field-based research. It aims to strengthen Africa’s water workforce, improve access to reliable water quality data, and support safer drinking water systems. The programme is part of a five-year regional initiative (2021-2026) operating through universities in Uganda, Ghana, and Ethiopia.
Welcoming the New Head
Prof. Kabenge congratulated Prof. Wanyama on his appointment and encouraged him to sustain and further strengthen the department’s local and international partnerships. He specifically encouraged the revival of visiting professorships and deeper engagement with the department’s expanding and well-connected alumni network.
Remarks by the University Officials and Incoming Head
The Director of Human Resources, represented by Mr. Julius Lebo, commended the outgoing head for his dedicated service and welcomed the incoming head, appreciating his willingness to take on the leadership role.
Similarly, the College Bursar, Ms. Susan Kyamulabi, praised Prof. Kabenge for his professionalism, strong administrative organization, and prudent management of departmental funds.
In his remarks, Prof. Joshua Wanyama expressed gratitude to University Management for his appointment, and to Prof. Kabenge, for his exemplary servant leadership and mentorship. He acknowledged the department’s steady growth under the outgoing head and thanked staff for entrusting him with the responsibility to lead them.
“I pledge my full commitment to serve. DABE is known for excellence and delivery, and I intend to uphold and strengthen that legacy. We shall continue working as a team to pursue excellence and further develop our department,” he said.
Brief about Prof. Joshua Wanyama
Prof. Joshua Wanyama is a Ugandan academic and Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Makerere University. He holds a PhD in Bioscience Engineering from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), a Master of Science in Water Science and Engineering from IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (Netherlands), and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Makerere University.
With over twenty years of experience in teaching, research, and academic mentorship, he specializes in irrigation engineering, water resources management, watershed systems, and climate-smart agriculture. His work focuses on advancing sustainable agricultural water systems and strengthening climate resilience in Uganda and the wider region.
He has supervised several undergraduate and postgraduate students, contributed to curriculum development, and served as an external examiner for a number of universities across Africa. He is a registered professional engineer and an active member of professional bodies including the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
In recognition of his academic excellence, he was named among the top-performing mid-career researchers and lecturers at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) in the 2025 Vice Chancellor’s Research Excellence Awards.
Pictorial of the handover ceremony:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RjIS9_8mPM5HVr7UAFP7ik43kkpj-WOY?usp=sharing
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