General
Mak Leadership Commends MURBS Fund Value Growth ahead of 11th AGM
The University Council and Management have commended the Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) Board of Trustees (BoT), Service Providers and Secretariat on the Scheme’s fund value growth from UGX 209 Billion to UGX 255 Billion during the Financial Year 2020/21. The commendations were delivered on Tuesday 19th October 2021 in the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building at the presentation of MURBS’ performance for the aforementioned period ahead of the 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to take place on Thursday 21st October 2021.
“The Chairperson of MURBS has told us that the Scheme now has assets worth UGX 255 Billion and has shown a rising trend of members’ benefits over the last few years. It is quite remarkable that 200 University employees have crossed into the group having over UGX 200 million in a space of one year!” exclaimed the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe in his remarks.
Earlier, Dr. Godwin Kakuba the Chairperson MURBS BoT had in his communication shared that the Scheme recorded two (2) members whose benefits crossed into the UGX 350-400 Million range, while four (4) members’ benefits crossed into the UGX 300-350 Million range within the period 30th June 2021 to 30th June 2021. Furthermore, within the same period, members with benefits in the UGX 250-300 Million range grew from six (6) to seventy eight (78), while those in the UGX 200-250 Million range grew from seventy three (73) to two hundred seventy three (273).
“These are good performance indicators and I am sure members of MURBS are pleased about them. We too welcome these results and hope that they will result into something positive for the University” said Prof. Nawangwe.
On this note, the Vice Chancellor urged members of MURBS to serve the University with dedication and contribute generously towards the reconstruction of the Main Building. He equally appealed to staff to actively participate in celebrations to mark 100 years of Makerere University’s existence. The year-long celebrations were launched by the President H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on 9th October 2021 during the 59th Independence Day commemorations at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.
The Chairperson, Makerere University Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara who was represented by Council Member and Dean School of Women and Gender Studies, Assoc. Prof. Sarah Ssali in her remarks thanked God for MURBS’ notable achievement despite a Financial Year characterized by lockdowns and COVID-19 infection waves.
“These (performance indicators) are well above the objectives of the scheme and have added real growth to every individual member’s funds. I also congratulate the Trustees on this achievement” lauded Mrs. Magara.
At 77.79%, Treasury Bonds form the largest Asset Class in MURBS’ investment portfolio. This is followed by Investment property at 7.96%, Quoted shares (East Africa Equities) at 5.58%, Guaranteed Fund at 4.45%, Fixed Deposits at 2.15%, Treasury Bills at 2.01% and Corporate bonds at 0.07%.
The Chairperson congratulated MURBS upon winning an additional two accolades at the Financial Reporting (FiRe) Awards in November 2020. Earlier, the Chairperson Board of Trustees reported that MURBS had emerged winner in the retirement benefits category of the FiRe Awards for four consecutive years.
“That is something that brings me, and Makerere University Council as a whole, lots of joy. I am confident that those awards testify about the strength of the Scheme and the level of transparency that you put into this work. Please keep it up” complimented the Chairperson.
Mrs. Magara thanked the Government of Uganda for creating an investment climate that is conducive to good performance of retirement benefits schemes, as well as continuing to pay the salaries of Makerere University Staff from which the scheme receives monthly contributions to invest. She equally thanked the University administration for supporting MURBS by paying most of the staff benefits on time.
The Chairperson concluded by reiterating Council’s support to MURBS as a model scheme in the country and commitment to ensuring that the balance of the In-house debt is cleared.
“I am satisfied that the University Council is achieving the objectives of setting up MURBS. I would like to again advise the Trustees to continue exercising due diligence in all matters of the Scheme” she summed up.
Representing the CEO Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) Mr. Martin Nsubuga, the Director Legal-Mrs. Ritah Nansasi Wasswa commended the Board of Trustees on the timely submission of financial statements, application for Trustee licences, quick responses to queries raised by the regulator and general adherence to the legal framework that governs the sector.
“URBRA is working tirelessly to support all licensed schemes in the promotion of good governance and overall management of the schemes’” added Mrs. Wasswa.
The URBRA representative thanked MURBS Trustees for working with the regulator to facilitate the development the Trustee Training and Certification Programme. Launched by URBRA in 2021, the programme is aimed at improving and enhancing professionalism of trustees.
She commended MURBS on its new status as the mandatory retirement benefits scheme of Makerere University. “Given the new status of the scheme, we implore the Trustees to ensure strict compliance with the law, scheme trustee deed and the rules.”
The Chairperson Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr. Godwin Kakuba while presenting the Scheme’s performance reiterated MURBS’ commitment to ensuring that all practices of good governance are adhered to.
“For the Financial Year 2020/21, and in accordance with the Board Charter, the BoT engaged Profiles International Uganda Limited to evaluate its performance. This is the fourth time such an evaluation is being done and the results show that on the whole, the Board was rated very highly with an overall performance rating of ‘Excellent’.
“The Trustees will continue to work towards the realization of MURBS’ medium to long-term targets, such as, individual member holding reaching the UGX 500 Million band by 2024 and achieving 100% income replacement ratio by 2027” remarked Dr. Kakuba.
The Chairperson concluded by thanking the Chairperson and members of the University Council as well as the Vice Chancellor and members of Management for supporting MURBS to become a fully-fledged Employer Mandatory Scheme.
The presentation was moderated by Mr. Wilber Grace Naigambi MURBS Secretary BoT and Principal Public Relations Officer Ms. Ritah Namisango.
The Board of the Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN) led by the Chairperson, Prof. Mundia Muya on 14th October 2025 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Makerere University. The Board which is on a two-day exposure visit to the Research and Education Network of Uganda (RENU) was received by the Acting (Ag.) Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Sarah Ssali in the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom.
The Chairperson was accompanied by Mr. Ronald Hatoongo and Mr. Stein Mkandawire, the Board Secretary and CEO of ZAMREN respectively, as well as RENU’s CEO-Mr. Nicholas Mbonimpa and RENUMESH Technologies CEO-Mr. Brian Masiga. In attendance were Mr. Samuel Mugabi-Director DICTS, Prof. Robert Wamala-Director Research, Innovations and Partnerships (DRIP), and Prof. Tonny Oyana-Principal College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS).
Also present were; Prof. Paul Birevu Muyinda-Director Institute of Open, Distance and eLearning (IODeL), Dr. Godfrey Mayende-Deputy Director IODeL, Dr. Michael Walimbwa- College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Dr. Cathy Mbidde- Ag. Manager. Makerere University Innovation Pod, Ms. Eunice Rukundo-Deputy Chief-Public Relations and staff from the Office of the Vice Chancellor.
In her welcome remarks, Prof. Ssali thanked the ZAMREN Board for including the courtesy call on their Kampala itinerary and extended warm greetings from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. She noted that Makerere as a founding member of RENU has enjoyed a mutually beneficial collaboration, that has benefited both staff and students in the form of supporting growing connectivity needs, as well as training, mentorship, and development of technical skills for both continuing students and graduates.
Turning to the gist of the courtesy call, the Acting Vice Chancellor noted that the Makerere University through the Centre for Artificial Intelligence (MAK-AI) seeks to harness the transformative power of AI to address society’s most pressing challenges. “Projects undertaken by our Centre tackle real-world challenges in health, agriculture, languages, and beyond.”
Prof. Ssali nevertheless underscored the importance of upholding ethics in all AI undertakings “Mindful of global trends elsewhere, the work of the Makerere AI Centre is guided by the principles of Responsible AI, ensuring that systems are transparent, accountable, fair, and designed to benefit society.”
She therefore called upon the delegation to thoughtfully engage with the ideas presented during their visit with the aim of collectively exploring both institution can better equip staff and students to meaningfully make the most of this fast-evolving trend.
On behalf of the Board, Prof. Muya who is substantively the Vice Chancellor of the University of Zambia thanked Prof. Ssali and Members of Management present for according his delegation a warm reception to Makerere University, “one of Africa’s most distinguished centres of higher learning.
“Makerere University is not only a symbol of academic excellence but also a beacon of leadership in higher education on the African continent”, remarked Prof. Muya.
The Chairperson equally expressed the delegation’s keenness to understand how AI is being adopted, and how the academia is embracing the technology as an enabler of teaching and research. “At ZAMREN, we view digital transformation and AI integration as critical enablers of academic excellence, efficiency, and competitiveness across higher education institutions,” he remarked, adding that “We therefore look to Makerere University’s experience to draw practical lessons that can inform and inspire our efforts back home.”
Turning to the lessons from Makerere in line with digital transformation and ICT, the Director DICTS shared that owing to the partnership with RENU, internet bandwidth, a vital enabler of AI transformation currently stands at 5 Gbps of monthly consumption, with plans to scale-up to 8 Gbps. He added that RENU has also facilitated Makerere’s access to Open Libraries, and Eduroam – a secure, encrypted Wi-Fi network across to staff and students freely access the internet across partner institutions in Uganda using their University emails.
Furthermore on the enablers of AI integration, Mr. Mugabi noted that in line with digitalization of institutional business process, the University Council took a bold step to develop all information systems in-house, a move that has reduced costs spent on offshore solutions, and hemorrhage of skills. He pointed to the introduction of open source solutions, and AI policy and global collaborations with corporations such as Google as additional enablers.
Addressing AI readiness, Prof. Tonny Oyana pointed out the need for the University of Zambia to start early, citing Makerere efforts which began as far back as 2007, when Dr. John Quinn joined the institution after his PhD. He added that Dr. Quinn together with other former staff from Makerere formed Sunbird AI, a thriving initiative creating practical systems for the benefit of community.
Prof. Oyana also pointed to AI initiatives that have attracted up to USD 5million from Google Awards, staff with specialized skills in the creation and development of sensor technologies, top notch students that win continental and global awards from companies such as Huawei, and active engagements with partners to produce solutions to enhance diagnosis of malaria, tuberculosis and cancer as some of areas that demonstrate Makerere’s AI readiness.
Addressing academic and research innovation, Prof. Robert Wamala pointed out that Makerere, in recognition that the institution cannot achieve its vision alone is intentional about seeking and nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships. Furthermore, he shared that Vice Chancellor’s Annual Research Excellence Awards reward and recognize the efforts of staff who have excelled in publication, teaching and winning grants.
The Director DRIP equally underscored the need for dissemination of research produced by staff and students, pointing out the annual research and innovation week as a flagship event for not only showcasing research but also forging meaningful partnerships with stakeholders. In line with technology transfer, Prof. Wamala said that the University through the Intellectual Property Management Office ensures that innovations developed by staff and students packaged for adoption by other individuals or organisations.
Addressing the use of technologies in academic work, Prof. Birevu noted that IODeL conducts capacity building in instructional design, online facilitation, use of AI in teaching and digital assessments. “We have also advised the University on ODeL and Distance Education strategies, for instance, we have developed a ten-year masterplan for distance education with support from the Korean Government to outline how Makerere University is going to integrate distance education within its offering” he added.
At the close of the deliberations the ZAMREN expressed sincere appreciation to the Ag. Vice Chancellor and Members of Management for the free sharing that pointed out a number of priorities.
Business & Management
PIM Centre Holds 9th Steering Committee Meeting, Set to Benefit from World Bank Support
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence at Makerere University today, October 10th, 2025, held its 9th Steering Committee Meeting to review progress made in the first quarter of the financial year and plan for the months ahead.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Getrude Basiima, who represented Mr. Hannington Ashaba, Director Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Ms. Basiima commended the Centre for its continued commitment to strengthening public investment management capacity across government institutions.
In her remarks, Ms. Basiima applauded the Centre for successfully hosting the Public Investment Management Conference held in August at Makerere University. The conference attracted key policymakers, development partners, and academics who deliberated on how to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and impact of public investments in Uganda.
She further shared exciting news that the Government of Uganda has secured funding from the World Bank to support the public investment management function. The PIM Centre, she announced, will be among the key beneficiaries of these funds — receiving support for the construction and acquisition of a permanent home to enhance its institutional sustainability and training capacity.
Reviewing the Centre’s quarterly performance, Ms. Basiima congratulated the team for successfully conducting three specialized trainings in the first quarter, reaching officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. These trainings continue to strengthen the technical competencies required for effective project preparation, appraisal, and implementation in line with Uganda’s National Development Plan.
She encouraged the Centre to integrate climate change considerations into its future training programmes, noting that sustainable public investment must now account for environmental resilience and climate adaptation.
The centre team presented the proposed structure/ organogram, the financial performance of 2024/2025, research areas for 2025/2026 and the strategic plan for 2025 – 2030.
The Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the PIM Centre’s vision of becoming a regional leader in building capacity for efficient, transparent, and sustainable public investment management.
-
General1 week agoVice Chancellor Updates Media on DVC AA Appointment, Acquisitions, Research & Various Issues
-
Computing & IS1 week agoICT Bootcamp for Vacists (P7, S4 & S6), Students & Professionals
-
General7 days agoStrengthening Collaboration between Makerere University and the University of Groningen
-
General1 week agoMakerere and Nelson Mandela University Move to Actualize Existing MoU
-
General1 day agoCall for Applications: Government Sponsorship 2026/27