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.
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
-
General2 weeks agoCall for Applications: Admission to Postgraduate Programmes 2025/2026
-
General7 days agoAccommodation during the Recess Term: 2024/2025
-
Humanities & Social Sciences2 weeks agoOver 2,000 Attend Makerere’s Dialogue on Traditional Spirituality, Herbal Medicine, Witchcraft and Questions of Truth
-
General4 days agoEnd of Semester Memo for Academic Year 2024/2025
-
General7 days agoMak Targets 30% Graduate Student Enrolment