Engineering, Art & Tech

CEDAT Holds 10th Open Day, Celebrates 50 Years of MES

Published

4 years ago

November 22, 2021

The Minister of State for Minerals-Hon. Peter Lokeris (2nd R) together with the Principal CEDAT-Prof. Henry Alinaitwe and UEGCL Officials hand over a dummy cheque to the best exhibitor of the 10th Annual CEDAT Open Day and MES@50 Celebrations held 19th-20th November 2021.

The College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) held its Annual Open day on the 19^th and 20^th of November 2021 on the Theme; ‘Innovation and Technology in Combating Crisis’

The event which was also an avenue to celebrate 50 years of Makerere Engineering Society (MES) was characterized by a display of many student ideas and innovations in line with the theme of the event.

The Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero was Chief Guest at the event held at Makerere University Central teaching Facility II. In her remarks Dr. Monica Musenero expressed her commitment towards building the future in partnership with the young engineers. She applauded the great work done by the students as seen from the exhibitions and expressed optimism that the future of the nation was assured with the kind of work the students were doing.

‘We are standing at cross roads, we are standing between the past and the future, standing between what has been and what we want to be, she said adding that we need to choose whether we go forward and take our future in our hands or choose to sit down, lament and blame everybody else’.

Dr. Musenero noted that the young people were the face of the future and congratulated Makerere Engineering Society for the 50 year milestone whose success she said, should be used to reflect on what had been realized as seen from the number of Engineers and products nurtured. She emphasized to the students that they were privileged given that science and technology where engineering falls was a key component for development.

The Minister informed the gathering that her Ministry was ready to support ideas and innovations in areas that included digital technology such as electronics, infrastructure engineering like roads and railways, mobility, the pathogen economy, import substitution and creating products for export as well as space engineering. She charged the students to have the right mindset and determination and assured them of the support of the Ministry.

The 2021 CEDAT open day later in the course of the event hosted the State Minister for Minerals Hon. Peter Lokeris who not only inspected the exhibition of the innovations by the students but also handed over a prize of Five Hundred Thousand Uganda Shillings to the best innovator courtesy of the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL).

Hon. Lokeris informed the Engineering students that the Mineral Development sector had a big docket and urged them to continue striving to become big innovators as demonstrated in the exhibition. He noted that the positive side of COVID 19 made it possible for certain innovations to be seen and that in times of crisis, the mind works at its best.

Related Topics:#MESat50 CEDAT COVID-19 Development Engineering featured innovation mineral STI technology UEGCL

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Engineering, Art & Tech

CEDAT and KOICA Partner to Advance E-Learning at Makerere University

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1 day ago

June 26, 2025

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A selection of the newly installed micro studio equipment on display during the official handover ceremony held at CEDAT on Wednesday, 25th June 2025.

The College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) at Makerere University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Project Management Committee of the “Enhancing the Distance Education Environment at Makerere University” initiative. This agreement formalizes the operational and managerial framework for the newly installed micro studio at CEDAT, aimed at strengthening the university’s digital learning infrastructure.

Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule, Deputy Principal of CEDAT, signed on behalf of the college, while Dr. Shon JinGon, Project Manager at the Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS), represented the implementing partner during an event held on Wednesday, 25^th June 2025.

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Engineering, Art & Tech

Uganda Urged to Strengthen OSHE Enforcement Amid Rising Workplace Injuries

Published

2 weeks ago

June 10, 2025

Alex Isemaghendera

Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu (R) Head of the Department of Computer and Electronics Engineering at Makerere University, emphasized the importance of the training in promoting workplace safety.

In response to Uganda’s growing workplace safety concerns, staff at the College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) participated in an Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) training session aimed at increasing awareness and improving adherence to safety standards in professional and academic environments.

The workshop, organized by the School of Engineering, was part of a larger effort led by the OSHE Centers of Excellence, an initiative launched at Makerere, Kyambogo, and Busitema Universities on May 4, 2023. This program seeks to enhance workplace safety education, with a focus on hazard prevention, PPE usage, risk mitigation, and integrating OSHE principles into engineering curricula and industrial practices.

Speaking at the training, Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu, Head of the Department of Computer and Electronics Engineering at Makerere University, emphasized the importance of the training which was aimed at creating awareness about the need for the College, the university and the industry to proactively plan for safety at the place of work. It was indicated that Uganda was faced by alarming workplace injury rates, with over 25,000 workers suffering from job-related injuries annually, yet fatality statistics remain largely unreported.

Dr. Matovu highlighted the urgent need for OSHE integration in higher education, pointing out that 99% of engineering and science graduates enter the workforce without formal safety training. This lack of preparedness has led industries to withdraw internship placements, fearing liability if trainees suffer injuries or fatalities while on the job, he noted.

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Engineering, Art & Tech

Makerere University and Nile Basin Discourse Partner on Water Resource Management Initiative

Published

3 weeks ago

June 10, 2025

Alex Isemaghendera

The NBD team and their hosts led by Dr. Robinah Kulabako pose for a picture at the CEDAT Block

Makerere University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has partnered with the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) to collaborate on a World Bank-funded, two-year project aimed at improving transboundary water resource management in East Africa.

During a meeting held on 5^th June 2025 at CEDAT, Eng. Sylvesta Matemu, head of NBD, engaged with Makerere University representatives, including Dr. Philip Nyenje and Dr. Seith Mugume, to discuss strategies for effective implementation. The project seeks to employ citizen science approaches to involve local communities in water governance, data collection, and policy formulation.

The team also met with Prof. Dorothy Okello, Dean of the School of Engineering, and Dr. Robinah Kulabako, Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, to explore key areas of collaboration. Experts stressed the importance of regional cooperation in water management, citing growing concerns over resource sustainability and environmental challenges.

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