General
Advisory Board for the EfD-Mak Centre-Uganda Inaugurated
Environment for Development Initiative (EfD-Mak Centre) Uganda on 14th April 2022 inaugurated its Advisory Board to guide the operations of the Centre.
The Board inaugurated at the Centre’s Conference Hall at Makerere University, is chaired by the Deputy Vice chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Umar Kakumba.
While inaugurating the Board, the Director, EfD-Mak Centre, Prof. Edward Bbaale said everyone in Uganda has been affected by the environment hence the need for joint efforts to address environmental challenges.
Prof. Bbaale applauded the Vice Chancellor Makerere University for appointing Assoc. Prof. Umar Kakumba to be the main driver of the Advisory Board saying, this is a sign that the Centre is heading in the right direction.
“I wish to also applaud the different government entities for having entrusted us with their officers to be part of the Advisory Board, “he said.
The Advisory Board is constituted by representatives from government Ministries, Departments and agencies including the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), National Planning Authority (NPA), Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development(MoFPED), Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF), Wakiso District Local Government (DLG) Parliament, ACODE, Swedish Embassy and the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) Makerere University.
Prof. Bbaale said, the Board is aimed at helping in realizing the Centre’s missions, vision and goal and is key in providing and steering strategic direction with guidance from the strategic plan.In order to realize these, the board will sit once every Quarter but the frequency may be adjusted in case of need and urgency of the business.
He highlighted that the board will be responsible for visualizing the EfD-Mak Centre, mobilizing resources and popularizing the centre for Sustainability. It board will establish a roadmap for the centre, building from the Global hub efforts and financial support.
The Board will also play an oversight role in terms of planning and guidance in the implementation of the centre’s activities, set the agenda for each meeting and ensure that agendas and supporting materials are delivered to members in advance of meetings.
In addition, the board is responsible for checking that the Centre is aligned with the National Public Investment Management and other development strategies as well as policies and directions across government and actively participate in meetings and review of minutes, papers and other steering committee documents.
The Principal College of Business and Management Sciences, Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali observed that since the inception of the Centre, there has been a number of achievements recorded.
“This is a center which is already vibrant and committed to doing a lot related to environment conservation and policy direction. You can continue asking for our full support now that you have a strong team led by an advisory Board.
We now have a chance to benefit from a number of senior colleagues and we look forward to exploiting you to the fullest”, he said.
Assoc. Prof. Hisali called for integration of the centre in activities related to the review of the environmental policies to enhance sustainability.
The interim Board Chair Assoc. Prof. Umar Kakumba, said the Board intends to foster the strategic objective of the Centre as a research, knowledge and innovation hub on issues to do with environmental research, environmental advocacy and environmental policy.
“As you are aware, environment is something that can never be ignored by any economy. Environmental degradation and vagaries of climate change and variability has affected the economies of the world so much in terms of agricultural food production, but also in terms of creating health disasters which have led to a lot of emerging infectious diseases and other environmental dangers.
As a Board, our role is to provide oversight, continue to grow the confidence of the international partners like the SIDA that has supported the centre to run various activities related to research, capacity building and training for governmental, local authorities and middle level officers.
We also want to show how research can create solutions and policies that can help to protect and safeguard our environment in addition to fostering institutionalization”, Dr. Kakumba explained.
Members speak out on the launch
The Deputy Director, EfD-Mak Centre Prof. Johnny Mugisha who attended virtually said, the Advisory Board was long overdue and expressed happiness that despite the challenges, it was achieved.
Wakiso District Environmental Officer Ms. Rebecca Sabaganzi observed the need to embed the Centre to the National Development Plan III and make the strategic plan measurable to holistically address issues of environment.
She implored the Centre Secretariat to integrate the private sector into their day-to-day operations saying, this will enhance quick customer responsiveness.
“As government we are slow in acting but the private sector is very first. So, including them would make a very big impact,” Sabaganzi said.
The Assistant Commissioner Statistics Macroeconomic Policy Department in the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Dr. Sam Mugume Koojo, expressed the need to institutionalize the center in order to make it more relevant and attract government support.
The Assistant Commissioner wetlands in the Ministry of Water and Environment Stephane Mugabi, expressed the need for advocacy for sustainability if Environmental conservation and protection is to be realized.
Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities.
The launch brought together senior government officials, university leadership, and development planners, including the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, and a representative from the National Planning Authority (NPA), alongside the University Vice Chancellor.
A Vision Anchored in National Transformation
Speaking at the launch, the Vice Chancellor underscored the University’s ambition to significantly expand graduate training and strengthen its contribution to national development. He noted that the institution is targeting a return to pre-COVID enrolment levels and a substantial increase in postgraduate numbers by 2030, with a focus on producing highly skilled graduates, innovators, and researchers.
He emphasized that the Strategic Plan positions the University as a key driver of Uganda’s transformation through knowledge generation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligned with national priorities.
“The staffing distribution is shown here. Under the approved establishment, we intended to have 419 Professors, but we currently have only 75. We planned for 473 Associate Professors, but currently have only 144. This clearly demonstrates that we still have considerable room for growth in strengthening our academic staff profile,” the VC said.
The VC appreciated researchers and research centres, that continue to attract substantial research funding. He highlighted the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and the Makerere University Walter Reed Project which attracted approximately US$70 million in international research funding into Uganda.
“When you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” he said.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional roadmap, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”
She noted that the Plan marks “the launch of Makerere University’s next chapter,” adding that decisions taken over the next five years will shape not only the future of the institution, but also Uganda’s development trajectory through graduates, research, innovations, and leadership.
Dr. Magara emphasized Makerere’s unique national role as Uganda’s premier public university, entrusted with public resources and public confidence.
“Every investment made in Makerere must produce measurable value for the people of Uganda,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability, integrity, and impact.
Ambitious Targets for Transformation
The Council Chairperson and the Vice chancellor outlined bold performance targets under the Strategic Plan, including doubling postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM enrolment from 30% to 55%, improving PhD completion rates from 10% to 35%, and more than doubling peer-reviewed research output, alongside a significant rise in patents and innovations.
Dr. Magara stressed that these targets are not aspirations alone but binding commitments against which institutional performance will be measured.
“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.
Call for Stronger Governance and Legal Reform
Dr. Magara also highlighted the need for reform of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, noting that the current legal framework has not kept pace with the evolving realities of university governance and innovation.
She called on Government and Parliament to support a timely review of the Act to enable universities to better optimise knowledge systems, productive assets, and innovation capacity in support of national development.
Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment
Hon. Henry Musasizi commended the University for developing a forward-looking Strategic Plan aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as the foundation for the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He explained that Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy from about USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion requires accelerated growth driven by productivity gains, innovation, and strong human capital development.
“Universities are central actors in national transformation. They are engines of knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development,” he said.
The Minister stressed that government priorities include strengthening research, promoting industrialization, and ensuring that knowledge generated in universities is translated into practical solutions that support economic growth. He further highlighted the importance of accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public investments in higher education.
Universities as Drivers of the Tenfold Growth Strategy
In his presentation, the Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, Samuel Kasule, emphasized that the Strategic Plan is firmly anchored in Uganda’s comprehensive development framework under Vision 2040 and NDP IV.
He noted that the Tenfold Growth Strategy seeks to accelerate Uganda’s economic growth into double-digit territory, enabling the country to achieve structural transformation and reach upper middle-income status.
Kasule underscored that universities play a critical role in this transformation through labour productivity, research, and innovation. He pointed out that priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and ICT depend heavily on skilled graduates and strong research ecosystems.
He also highlighted the importance of competency-based education, alignment of academic programmes with national human resource needs, and strengthening postgraduate training and research outputs.
A Shared Commitment to Transformation
Across all speeches, a strong message emerged: universities are central to Uganda’s development agenda and must evolve into research-intensive institutions that directly contribute to economic transformation.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was widely commended for its focus on innovation, industry collaboration, digital transformation, and the commercialization of research outputs.
Government leaders reaffirmed continued support for higher education institutions through research funding, innovation ecosystems, and strengthened university–industry partnerships.
Conclusion
The launch of the Strategic Plan 2030 signals a renewed commitment to positioning the University as a key partner in Uganda’s development journey. With strong alignment to national priorities, the Plan is expected to accelerate research, innovation, and skills development necessary for achieving Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions. The Strategic Plan may be accessed at: https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan
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