General
Mak GMD Honours Ms. Frances Nyachwo’s Distinguished Service
“Good management is when you start something and give space to others to run it, and then see it operating further than you left it. I believe that it is not good to start something, see it succeed and then wish yourself to be the only one running it, because as you retire, what you started perishes,” remarked Ms Frances Nyachwo, Outgoing Deputy Director, Gender Mainstreaming Directorate.
In line with that philosophy, Ms. Frances Nyachwo shared a testimony with the audience. She said: “When I realized that I was remaining with four years to retire, I thought of leaving the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD) functioning more than it was when I was in office. I did all it took to see that the Directorate gets a Director before I retire. I thank God, today as I am retiring, I can say that all that we have worked for all those years with the other staff of the Directorate will multiply even more.That is what good management is all about. It is just like running in a relay format, you let others take it further than you can.”
Ms. Nyachwo made the revelation during a dinner organized by Makerere University Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD) in honour of her distinguished service. She was accompanied by her daughter and two sons as well as other close family members. This being a very special moment, the former Head of the Gender Mainstreaming Division, Ms Evelyn Nyakoojo also attended the colourful occasion. The farewell dinner was held on 4th May 2022 at Makerere University Guest House.
Ms Nyachwo joined the Directorate on 6th October 2003 as a Senior Assistant Registrar. At that time, the Directorate was still a Division under the Department of Academic Registrar. She has therefore seen it evolve from a Division into an independent Directorate. Listening to her remarks, it has been a journey of hard work by a number of women and men who were committed to the cause of gender mainstreaming.
Reflecting on the 18 years and 9 months she spent while serving Makerere University, Ms. Nyachwo confessed that the time she spent at the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate granted her a deep experience that impacted her as well as her family positively.
‘’Because of Makerere University, the livelihood of my family was assured. Through the opportunities they granted me, I was able to pay fees for my relatives and other people. I am very grateful to Makerere and the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate for offering me such a good job. I am indeed grateful.”
Ms. Nyachwo also reminisced the cordial working relationship with members of staff. She applauded them for making her working experience remarkable and successful.
“Looking back on my years at the Directorate, I have no regrets, only learning experiences that made me a better person. I was mentored by both my seniors and juniors and a number of you have added a brick to me, I have been lucky enough to have what I call the best job.I am glad that I am retiring with great memories,” she said.
Ms. Nyachwo was delighted that the Directorate had not shut its doors on her, but rather accorded her an open invitation to always drop by. She expressed readiness to continue working with the Directorate when consulted. “I am not saying farewell; I am just glad I have been given an open invitation to always pass by. I will welcome all opportunities that you will offer,” she remarked.
She advised her children to keep in touch and continue respecting the members of staff who in addition to being colleagues, have been very kind and supportive during her service to Makerere University.
“To you my children, when you meet these people whom I have spent 18 years and 9 months with, please don’t just bypass them, rather introduce yourself and say hello to them. Besides most of you have grown up seeing these faces each time you came to my office. In this world, no one knows tomorrow, an opportunity may come from them or their children and vice versa,” Ms. Nyachwo guided.
Another strong pillar in the life journey of the Gender Mainstreaming function, Ms Evelyn Nyakoojo commended the Directorate for recognizing the valuable contribution of staff. She requested the team at the Directorate to organize such special events for every member of staff who retires. Ms. Nyakoojo who served as Head of Unit when the Directorate was still at the level of a Division informed the audience that she has been in touch with Ms. Nyachwo and other University staff even after retirement. She also thanked the team at the Directorate for always leaving the door open for her.
Ms. Nyakoojo applauded Ms. Frances Nyachwo for being a strong and determined lady who stood out with resilience in her work ethics. “She risked her life for others, and condemned what was wrong until it was put right, thank you Frances.”
On behalf of the Directorate and the entire team that has been working with Ms. Frances Nyachwo, the Director, Dr. Euzobia Mugisha-Baine described her as a woman of valor and integrity. She saluted Ms. Nyachwo for being intelligent, hardworking and passionate about her work with ability and capability to maintain relationships with co-workers. She pointed out that Ms. Nyachwo was a skillful person in teamwork and team building.
“Frances Nyachwo participated in nurturing of the Directorate. We thank you for the commitment and tireless efforts. The dedicated service that you rendered to the Directorate and the University at large,” she said.
To demonstrate their gratitude, the Directorate presented a Galaxy A52s 5G phone to Ms. Frances Nyachwo.
The Senior Gender Officer at the Directorate, Mr. Eric Tumwesigye noted that Ms. Frances Nyachwo trained, groomed and brought many people on board and also encouraged them to take on higher positions.
“On behalf of my colleagues at the Directorate, we wish to thank you for the energy, zeal and intelligence you exhibited when working with us. We really learnt a lot while working with you,” he mentioned.
Mr. Tumwesigye exalted Ms. Nyachwo for being resilient. “It is because of your resilience and determination that enabled you to stand out. There are things we do that put our personal lives at risk yet it is for the benefit of the majority. Ms. Frances Nyachwo, you endured various turbulence and here we are benefitting from your toil, thanks for all your endeavors, we shall forever remember your positive contribution to the Directorate,” he stated.
Filled with joy, Mr. Tumwesigye pointed out that Ms. Nyachwo was the first person who extended an invitation to him for an opportunity to work with the Directorate, which was then a Division under the Department of the Academic Registrar.
“It is interesting when elders provide young ones with shoulders and not thorns. Frances, you put your shoulders out for a young man. I have now served in the Directorate for close to 17 years and my life will never be the same. For the person I have become, it is all because of people like you. Thanks for believing in me, I am extremely grateful. It is my prayer that one day, I sit in that chair and someone also says thank you to me,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Ms. Dahlia Onyango Nyapendi, noted that her Mum is a real copy of the virtuous woman that the Bible talks about in the book of Proverbs and noted that despite her busy schedule, she always spared time for her family and talked to them through guidance and counselling.
She also disclosed that her mother has always been her role model. “I grew up looking at my mother as my model. I have learnt most of the things that I do from her. I am assertive and courageous. I am proud of that,” she said.
Story by: Mak Gender Mainstreaming Directorate
Dr. James Magara, a futurist and Chairman of Yobel Biashara Initiative stood before an audience at Makerere University on September 30, 2026, and projected a map of the world. It was upside down.
He asked the room if anything was wrong, and as the audience hesitated, he revealed that “in 1569, the Flemish cartographer and geographer whose name was Gerardus Mercator, developed a map now known as the Mercator projection. It represented the curved shape of the Earth on a flat map.” He simplified it saying, the Mercator map accurately shows direction and local shape, but it distorts the size of places, especially those that are located near the poles. He pointed out that the map distorts the size of continents, making Greenland appear as large as Africa, when in reality, Africa is 14 times larger.
Fixing the map was easy and free, it took one vote, Dr Magara said, referencing the recent United Nations resolution that encouraged accurate area projections. Indeed fixing the map was easy but the actual material weight of this continent and its institutions that run within the world economy is why dialogues like this exist. “Until we (Africa) fund our own institutions ourselves, the continental agenda will keep belonging to whoever writes the check.”
This and more were part of Dr. Magara’s opening remarks while delivering a keynote at the YOBEL Biashara Conference 2026 hosted at Makerere University School of Public Health Auditorium.
The event, was co-hosted by the CASTLE Think Tank, YOBEL Biashara, and Makerere University under the theme: “Africa’s Agency in an Era of Geopolitical Change: Trade, Investment and Economic Transformation,” brought together a diverse assembly of policymakers, academics, and private sector leaders.
Representing Dr. Adam Mugume the Chief Guest who could not make it due to unavoidable circumstances, Ms. Doreen Katangaza, a researcher and economist at the Bank of Uganda (BoU) delivered his remarks while reflecting on Dr. Magara’s keynote.
She explained “what agency means in economic policy, is not isolation, it’s not withdrawal, but the capacity to choose, to negotiate, and to act.”
She emphasized that relying on external factors or rhetoric is insufficient for long-term transformation. Instead, she suggests that agency is defined by internal strength and the ability to act independently. As she states, “Africa’s agency will not only be secured by rhetoric. It will be built through capabilities. The capability to produce, the capability to finance development, capability to manage shocks and above all, capability to make choices based on our own long-term interests and people’s priorities.”
Ultimately, Ms. Katangaza aligned with all speakers mobilising for a holistic approach involving government, the private sector, and academia to build these foundations. She noted that the Bank of Uganda is committed to harmonising policies and payment systems to support this, but success depends on whether these ideas translate into tangible outcomes, such as stronger institutions and resilient economies, when stakeholders reconvene in the future.
She concluded by congratulating the YOBEL Biashara Initiative, CASTLE Think Tank, and Makerere University for organizing the forum “a platform for thoughtful discussion about Africa’s economic future.” She thanked all the speakers, all panelists, and participants for their valuable contribution and attention during her communication and entire event.
Cost of Institutional Dependence to the Continent
Dr. Magara’s address was his critique of the continent’s institutional funding. He pointed out that member states currently fund only 24% of the African Union’s own program budget. Charity begins at home, he stated. With 76% out of every dollar the African Union spends coming from partners outside the continent. He argued that this dependency is self-inflicted and fixable.
He advised that if we genuinely want a technology-creating continent, the work has to start in the primary school classroom, not in the university innovation hub. He added, while also highlighting that Africa’s research and development spending sits at 0.4 percent of GDP, far below the world average.
Dr. Magara also addressed the implementation gap that has affected the continent for decades. He suggested that the failure to execute on well-crafted strategies is not just a capacity problem, but a result of selfish interests within. Some people are benefiting from the way things are, he explained. So, if they change, they will lose the benefit.
As a futurist and leadership strategist, Dr. Magara used his keynote address to also dismantle some of the comfortable narratives often repeated in policy circles. He challenged the audience to reconsider the concept of agency, arguing that choice only becomes agency when backed by the capacity to act. He pushed back against the common narrative that Africa’s youth population is automatically a demographic dividend.
A youth bulge without a falling birth rate, without matching job creation is not a dividend, he warned. It is a dependency burden wearing dividends lobbying.
Dr. Magara said, “if you ask any panel anywhere on this continent why Africa has not industrialised, you will get the same three answers almost every single time. Not enough skills, not enough infrastructure, not enough finance. And all of this is true. All of it is real. None of it should be dismissed.” But none of those three answers explains a much stranger fact sitting right in front of us, “why have we been writing almost identical strategy documents, making almost identical recommendations for 30 years plus.”
He urged the room to be honest about the reality of the labor market, noting that every year, between 10 and 12 million Africans enter the labor market, while economies create roughly three million formal jobs. That gap cannot close itself, he stated. And it does not close by wishing it away in a policy document.
Engagement with Dr. Magara’s Keynote
The keynote featured significant engagement, primarily from Professor Pamela Mbabazi, Ms. Allen-Sophia Asiimwe, and Dr. Fred NK Muhumuza, who offered diverse perspectives that somewhat aligned with, and at certain points challenged his arguments.
Professor Pamela Mbabazi, Executive Chairperson of the National Planning Authority (NPA), offered a government perspective on the issues raised. She acknowledged the disconnect between some policy and deep thinking. Siding with Dr. Magara, there is a visible rush into making decisions without having deep thinking and engaging with amazing think tanks like YOBEL, CASTLE, she admitted.
She called for a more intentional approach to policymaking, urging think tanks to collaborate more closely with government bodies like the NPA. She explained that countries like China did not get to where they are by accident, they were intentional to include their think tanks into policy making and no decisions were made haphazardly.
Professor Mbabazi suggested that as a country and continent we can have our think tanks drive policy if we want to build a five-hundred-billion-dollar economy by 2040.
She concluded her submission joining Dr Magara in questioning whether Africa could credibly speak of strategic agency when the institutions through which agency is exercised remain substantially dependent on financing from elsewhere.
Allen Sophia Asiimwe the Deputy CEO/Chief of Programme at trademark Africa addressed the conference via zoom, and expressed she was happy “when Dr. Magara started off with a question on the size of Africa on the map and in reality, it matters.”
However, she challenged some of his assertions on financing. She requested to push back on this very strongly saying “If you look at how Africa is made up, a lot of our countries are still very poor,” arguing that the continent’s economic reality as of now requires external support.
With that said, she shifted the focus from external funding to internal inefficiencies, agreeing that Africa is sabotaging its own growth through non-tariff barriers, noting, “we are self-sabotaging. If we opened up for trade, if we allowed goods to cross the borders, we may actually make a big difference,” Ms. Asiimwe discussed.
Dr. Fred Muhumuza a prominent Ugandan development economist, senior lecturer, and policy advisor also engaged with the views on economic planning and indicators.
He agreed that think tanks are an issue, and that they must be embraced for the better. We must think about our problems, talk about them, and see what sense we make to ourselves.
Dr. Muhumuza questioned the premise that the source of financing is the primary issue, suggesting that the quality of the plan being financed is more critical.
Major General Gregory Mugisha Muntuyera, added his voice to Dr Magara’s arguing that beyond map size, Africa’s development is hindered not by a lack of potential, but by a mindset of dependency. Drawing a contrast to the conditioning of elephants in India mastered by small humans.
The General stated, “we have got the knowledge, we have got the qualifications, but we have been conditioned.”
He emphasized that true progress requires discipline for ” without this nothing is going to happen” regardless of how many conferences are held.
The Cost of a Broken System
Ms. Eseza Mulyagonja, a member of the YOBEL Biashara board, as one of the opening speakers, issued a strong reminder of the urgency required in addressing the continent’s challenges.
Ms. Mulyagonja shared a story so dear to her, of a young boy in a village who died after being bitten by a snake because he was not in school, for his fees were unpaid. She used this to illustrate the human cost of broken systems and advised that we do not have to wait for calamity to strike, since this is a story that is so common.
She said as a continent, we have got to confront these things saying if we do not bring these stories close to home, we will not be propelled to change the direction for the better.
MAKERERE-CASTLE-YOBEL A PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S TRANSFORMATION
Representing Professor Sarah Ssali, the First Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, Professor Edward Bbaale the Principal College of Business and Management Sciences, emphasised the institution’s commitment to being an active partner in national and continental transformation acknowledging the global economic order is undergoing profound change, characterised by geopolitical realignment and an accelerating energy transition.
“These questions cannot be settled in just one conference. These are conversations that we’re going to have to continue even after here. So once again, I thank our chief guest, our keynote speaker, our discussants, our partners, the organizers, and every one of you who have made this time a meaningful time spent and made meaningful contributions to Africa’s future.
“The important question, therefore, is not simply how Africa will be affected by these changes, but how Africa will shape them”, Professor Bbaale remarked.
Crowning the remarks from the host institution, Makere University Chairperson of Council Dr. Lorna Magara appreciated everyone that was present for this noble conversation.
She said, “I trust that each of us leaves today with at least one idea that we are going to execute for the good of our continent.”
She proposed that the first item on the agenda of the YOBEL Biashara 2027 conference should be looking at the scorecard of what has been done to see that Africa increasingly moves from being a passive recipient of global economic decisions to becoming an active participant in shaping the rules, institutions, and partnerships that determine its development direction.
View Pictorial: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD6mhp
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