Agriculture & Environment
Mak Seeks 10 Hectares of Land to Establish Livestock Cafes in Napak District
By Jane Anyango
Makerere University Researchers under the Drylands Transform Project are engaging communities and local government in Karamoja sub-region to establish livestock Cafes.
This was revealed during the inception workshop held in Napak District on 22nd October 2021. The research team met with Local Government Technical and Administrative units seeking permission and support to implement the project in the area and also offer land for demonstration sites that will be handed over to the districts after the five-year project period for sustainability.
Livestock cafes will be the experimental sites to study forage productivity, establish novel co-learning and knowledge exchange centers and create opportunities for milk and fodder value chains.
During the deliberations, the district officials expressed concern over low animal productivity mainly caused by ticks, requesting the research team to attach the tick control demo on the livestock cafes. The university team agreed to consider including a spray race to demonstrate the benefits of tick control to pastoralists for improved animal health and productivity.
Speaking during the inception workshop at Napak district Farmers Hall, Makerere University Principal Investigator Prof. Denis Mpairwe from the Department of Agricultural Production said the livestock cafes will engage with local communities to test novel land restoration and management options in grazing areas for enhanced forage, food and income.
These experimental plots according to the PI are managed for forage production and can be utilized for controlled grazing by local communities.
“At the livestock cafes, the project will pilot value chain improvement activities towards value addition. Groups of local women, men and youth will be trained and familiarized with livestock products like milk, and their value chains. This will prepare them to take over the operations by the end of the project”, the Principal Investigator said.
Prof. Mpairwe added that the geographical focus of the Drylands Transform will be the Karamoja cluster, in the cross-boundary area between Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan.
The field studies according to Prof. Mpairwe will take place in four sites providing variation in livelihood strategies, land management and climate. The sites include; Chepareria (Kenya) and Matany (Uganda) in the south dominated by agro-pastoralist communities as well as Lokiriama-Lorengippi (Kenya) and Rupa (Uganda) in the north dominated by pastoralists.
The District Speaker Mr. Angillu J Bosco welcomed the project to Napak, assuring the researchers of security to enable them carry out the activities. Angillu also assured the research team of the availability and readiness of the local people to give land and work with the project.
“We are welcoming you to work and I want to assure you that the team you are seeing here is a very vibrant team, I trust them, they can do the work a PhD or masters person can do but nevertheless they need to work with you, they need your guidance and will be consulting you.
For us in Napak we like giving land and we can give you to use as many acres as you can and one thing I have learnt from this project is that the more land you have the more activities you undertake there. As a district we shall discuss to allocate you the land you need”, Mr. Angillu assured.
He told the communities that the research team had not come to take their land but utilize it for their own benefit and hand it back to them at the conclusion of the project.
The LCV chairperson represented by Mr. Louch Andrew the District Secretary for Works described the Drylands Transform project as a good one for the Karamojong community.
He welcomed the idea of setting up tick control demonstration sites in Matany Sub-County saying, this will boost animal health and livestock production in general.
“This project has come to improve the livelihoods of the Karamojongs on cereal and animal industry. Our animals in Karamoja are suffering from tick-borne diseases which I know that this project is going to handle by introducing a spray race for animals to clean the animals and this has not been our way of living in Karamoja and the animals are not doing very well”, Mr. Louch said.
Mr. Luoch also welcomed the idea of establishing the livestock cafes as a brilliant one that will help diversify the incomes and improve on nutrition of the communities.
“Napak produces cereals like sunflower, green gram that have become commercial crops for oil production in Uganda. We ask the project to assist us to add value to these crops and package them for better marketing. We want something commercial not subsistence” added the District Secretary.
He pledged the District’s commitment to support the project activities imploring the research team to involve the local people to do the work so that they get the skills.
Napak District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) represented by the Principal Assistant Secretary Mr. Koryang Timothy said, it was a blessing that Napak was selected as the project site for the demonstrations.
He said the Dryland Transform project was going to build on what other partners had been doing to transform the livestock sector within the Karamoja cluster.
The CAO observed that implementing a livestock project for agro-pastoralist and pastoralist communities will spillover benefits that will be shared by other communities.
“Animal products are a perfect source of nutrition from ghee, milk and meat. So in totality when you talk about a project on livestock development, you are at the centre of improving the livelihoods of the agro-pastoralist communities. So these are the kinds of projects I would wish our District leadership continue lobbying for because they are a foundation of the livelihoods of our people”, the CAO said.
He thanked the research team for choosing Napak and Moroto districts as well as Matany Sub-County to host the project saying, Matany is the heart of Napak whose benefits will spill over to the entire district.
He expressed confidence that the project will progress and go a long way to improve the livestock industry in the District as well as other aspects of productivity such as the crop sector because of the linkage between the agro-pastoralists and pure pastoralists.
He said the project can start while other formalities like signing of agreements and integrating the budget in the district planning and budget awaits on grounds that from all indicators, the project will build on the district performance in the livestock sector.
“The project will build on the overall performance of the district in the production section by way of improving the lives of pastoral communities, provision of training for farmers and livestock spraying because Local Governments are assessed annually by the center”, Mr. Koryang noted.
The CAO also said with the support of the Local Government and Matany Sub-County, they will ensure that the project survives its five-year implementation plan and even beyond.
About Drylands Transform Project
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences is leading a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Umea University, Gothenburg University, University of Nairobi, Makerere University, World Agroforestry (ICRAF) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to implement the; “Achieving the SDGs in East African drylands: Pathways and challenges towards a transformation of landscapes, livestock and livelihoods in the East African drylands (Drylands Transform)” project, in the greater Karamoja cluster of Uganda and Kenya.
The Karamoja cluster of drylands covers Western Pokot, Kenya, Turkana region, the South Western and Eastern part of Ethiopia, the South Eastern part of South Sudan and the whole Karamoja region of Uganda.
It is a five year project funded by the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development, Formas, within their call for “Realizing the global Sustainable Development Goals”. It aims to address complex challenges in the East African dylands such as climate change, food insecurity, land and ecosystem degradation and weak institutions.
The project investigates the interlinkages between land health, livestock based livelihoods, human wellbeing and land governance mechanisms in order to contribute to transformative change and sustainable development of the social ecological system in the drylands of East Africa.
The overall goal is to contribute knowledge for the implementation and achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while optimizing synergies and minimizing trade-offs between SDGs in the East African drylands by developing transformative pathways through policy and practice.
Jane Anyango is the Principal Communication Officer, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES)
Agriculture & Environment
Mak-CAES Trains Small-Scale Processors on Soybean Value Addition & Product Development
The Department of Food Technology and Nutrition (DFTN), Makerere University, in collaboration with Smart Foods Uganda Ltd, successfully conducted a five-day intensive training on soybean value addition and product development from 24th to 28th November 2025. The training was implemented with support from IITA Uganda under the Training for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Soy Compact Project, aimed at strengthening agro-processing capacities and promoting soybean utilization for improved nutrition and livelihoods.
The training program was highly practical and skills-oriented, featuring extensive hands-on sessions designed to equip participants with applicable processing and product development competencies. Most of the practical activities were hosted at Makerere University’s Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre (FTBIC). Participants also benefited from an industry exposure and experiential learning session at Smart Foods Uganda Ltd in Bweyogerere, where they gained first-hand insights into commercial-scale soybean processing operations, quality control systems, and product marketing strategies.
Key thematic areas and technologies covered during the training included soybean nutrition and associated health benefits; assessment of quality attributes of soybeans and soy-based products; application of Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP); and processing of high-quality soy products. Practical sessions focused on the production of soymilk, tofu, soy yoghurt, soy flour, and soy coffee, as well as the formulation of soy-fortified composite porridge flours. Participants were also trained in the development of various soy-based bakery products, including bread, mandazi, daddies, and baghia. In addition, sessions on marketing, branding and positioning of soy products, as well as UNBS certification requirements and documentation, were conducted to enhance market readiness and regulatory compliance.
The training attracted a total of 57 participants, comprising small-scale soybean processors and graduating university students, thereby fostering knowledge exchange between academia and industry. Overall, the training contributed significantly to building technical capacity in soybean value addition, promoting entrepreneurship, and supporting the development of nutritious, market-oriented soy-based products in Uganda. The School of Food Technology, Nutrition, and Bioengineering, under the leadership of Dr. Julia Kigozi (Dean), conducts periodical trainings for agro-processors across the country to enhance technical capacity, improve product quality, and promote the adoption of modern, safe, and sustainable food processing practices. These trainings are designed to equip agro-processors with practical skills in food safety, quality assurance, value addition, post-harvest handling, nutrition, and bioengineering innovations, thereby enabling them to meet national and international standards. Through this outreach, the School contributes to strengthening agro-industrial development, reducing post-harvest losses, supporting entrepreneurship, and improving food and nutrition security while fostering stronger linkages between academia, industry, and communities.
The Department of Tourism at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) on Thursday, 11 December 2025, hosted Prof. Sofia Asonitou from the University of West Attica, Greece. Prof. Asonitou serves as the Regional Coordinator for the Sub-Saharan Africa region under the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM) framework at her institution.
During her engagement with the Department team led by Prof. Jim Ayorekire, deliberations centred on strengthening avenues for international academic cooperation.
The meeting highlighted several key areas of collaboration, including the initiation of student and staff exchanges under the Erasmus+ mobility program and capacity building in tourism governance. The team also explored the development of a joint masters degree program and the design of micro-credit courses aimed at addressing emerging skills gaps within the tourism sector.
Prof. Asonitou’s visit marked an important step toward deepening institutional partnerships and enhancing the global outlook of tourism education and research within CAES.
The Department of Tourism, which was carved out of the former Department of Forestry, Biodiversity, and Tourism, now operates as an independent academic unit offering a diverse and comprehensive range of programmes. The programmes are designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience necessary to thrive in various sectors of the tourism industry, including sustainable tourism development, hospitality management, and eco-tourism.
Agriculture & Environment
How transformative education is shaping Africa’s next generation of innovators
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 articulates a clear continental ambition; to unlock Africa’s potential to feed itself and to harness the transformative power of its greatest asset, its people. While natural resources remain abundant and diverse, Africa’s long-term prosperity hinges on the strategic cultivation of human capital through robust, forward-looking education systems.
Like many governments across the continent, the Government of Botswana, the host of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)’s 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM), aligns closely with the Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger and no poverty. It also upholds the collective aspirations of African Heads of State and Government expressed in the Kampala Declaration under the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).
Against this backdrop, the pre-AGM session on transformative education and ecosystem engagement convened hundreds of scholars, policymakers, and thought leaders from Africa and beyond. The discussions underscored a shared urgency that strategic collaboration must move from concept to action if the continent is to confront its pressing challenges of food insecurity, public health vulnerabilities, conflict and displacement, youth unemployment, and the persistent pressures of migration. The message was clear; Africa’s transformation requires not isolated interventions, but integrated, interdisciplinary solutions.
In fulfilling the CAADP agenda, universities stand at the forefront. They must leverage every available opportunity to generate workable, evidence-based solutions through science, technology, and innovation. However, they cannot act alone. National Agricultural Research Systems, the private sector, civil society, and development partners must each play an indispensable role in strengthening Africa’s education and agricultural systems. Together, these institutions form the ecosystem that will determine whether Africa can translate its ambitions into tangible progress.
The Youth Dividend
Since its establishment at Makerere University in Uganda in 2004, RUFORUM has supported the training of more than 3000 students across the continent at PhD, Masters, undergraduate and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) level. These scholars, drawn from diverse African countries and hosted in universities across the region, represent a deliberate investment in building Africa’s scientific capacity and advancing pan-African collaboration. Notably, 98% of RUFORUM-supported graduates continue to work within their home countries or regions, reinforcing national and regional development efforts.
A key contributor to this impact is the Mastercard Foundation supported initiative, Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev2.0). This programme strengthens universities, Technical, and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to drive inclusive, equitable, and climate-resilient transformation of agriculture and agri-food systems. Through experiential learning, practical skills development, and youth empowerment, TAGDev enhances the ability of young Africans to engage meaningfully in agriculture as innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs.
Across both TAGDev 1.0 and 2.0, thousands of young women and men have been equipped to establish profitable enterprises and create employment opportunities within their communities.
This transformative impact was evident during a keynote address by Dr. Yeukai Mlambo from the MasterCard Foundation followed by a panel session where four young entrepreneurs and beneficiaries of RUFORUM MasterCard supported programmes, shared their journeys. Their enterprises span a wide spectrum. From improving and multiplying high-quality potato seed in Nakuru Kenya by Winnie Wambugu, to equipping differently abled persons (PWDs) with agronomy and entrepreneurship skills in Uganda by Zena Saliru, to skilling refugees in the west Nile region of Uganda by Gordon Victor Akejo to supporting out-of-school youth to become self-reliant by Kato Omia. These stories illustrate not only the ingenuity of Africa’s youth but also the importance of sustained investment in higher education and innovation ecosystems. They embody the youth dividend that Africa stands to gain if it continues to nurture the potential of its young people.
A moment Africa cannot afford to miss
As the conversations by the young entrepreneurs have made clear, Africa stands at a pivotal moment. The continent’s aspirations captured in Agenda 2063, the SDGs, and the CAADP commitments cannot be realised through intention alone. They demand systems that elevate human capital, institutions that collaborate rather than compete, and education models that prepare young people not merely to seek opportunity but to create it.
The stories shared by emerging entrepreneurs and young scientists are more than inspiring anecdotes; they are proof points. They show that when universities are empowered, when partnerships are genuine, and when young people are trusted with the tools and mentorship they need, transformation is already underway.
The scale of Africa’s challenges requires an equal scale in commitment by Governments, universities, research organisations, the private sector, and development partners who must deepen investments in higher education, innovation ecosystems, and youth-focused initiatives. Failure to do so risks squandering one of the continent’s most powerful assets, its demographic dividend.
Africa must therefore double down on transformative education and ecosystem-led collaboration. The momentum witnessed in Botswana should not end with the AGM. It should mark the beginning of renewed resolve to equip Africa’s young people with the skills, networks, and support they need to lead the continent’s next chapter.
The future is already taking shape in laboratories, fields, innovation hubs, and classrooms across the continent. It is time to scale what works and ensure that Africa’s brightest minds are empowered to build the strong and prosperous nations they envision. Collectively, we shall all achieve the Africa that we want.
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