General
Mak Management expresses readiness to work with 88th Students’ Guild
By Ritah Namisango
Officiating at the Swearing-in-Ceremony of the 88th Students’ Guild held on Monday 5th December 2022, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe called upon the student leaders to work with the University Management, Senate and Council to promote a favourable brand of Makerere University that is renowned for research, innovations and excellence.
“The University exists because of students. We cannot exist without you students. Our goal is to ensure that students are handled well. So, I request that the Students’ Guild works together with the University Management to make the University a better place. Let us work together to promote the best practices such as excellence and intellectual discourse,” he remarked.
In a speech read by the Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, the Vice Chancellor further urged the student leadership to uphold dialogue in issues of management and conflict resolution.
“Issues can be solved amicably by use of dialogue and solutions can be found without necessarily using force or strikes,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor congratulated H.E. Lawrence Alionzi, a student of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) upon his election as the 88th Guild President of Makerere University. In the same spirit, he expressed gratitude to the students who took the bold step to contest for leadership at the different levels, and congratulated each and every one who emerged a winner at the Cabinet level, Guild Representative Council, Hall Chairpersons and Senior Common Room, Representatives of College Guild Council among other categories.
Prof. Nawangwe hailed the Students’ Electoral Commission led by Mr. Edrine Nsobanyi for conducting peaceful, free and fair elections in a shortest time possible.
“I have been briefed by the Chairperson of the Students’ Electoral Commission and the Dean of Students, Mrs. Winifred Kabumbuli that during the physical elections, we would have between 5,000 and 6,000 participants, but this time, when we conducted elections virtually, over 10,000 students participated in the polls. I thank the team that managed the University e-voting system led by Mr. Samuel Mugabi, the Director of DICTS and Ms. Ruth Eteu from the Department of the Academic Registrar,” he said.
He reminded students to guard against unfortunate incidents such as the one that led to suspension of the earlier Guild elections, where a student of the Uganda Christian University lost his life while participating in Makerere University Guild campaigns.
Sharing lived examples as a student leader at various levels during his school days, Prof. Alinaitwe advised the student leaders to value their time, and the time of other people. He emphasized the need to respect time and rallied the student leaders to always keep time by starting meetings on time and meeting deadlines.
“Leaders should lead by example. I encourage you to always consult and value time management. I was a time keeper in primary and secondary school. Time management is very essential in delivery of services, and ensuring that meetings, activities, programmes and projects are executed well,” said Prof. Alinaitwe.
In his remarks, Mr. Nsobanyi appreciated the University Management for the support rendered to the Students’ Electoral Commission. “I thank the administration for restoring the students’ leadership. You have really supported activities of the elections including online elections which have been extremely peaceful, free, fair with no chaos,” he said.
Delivering his inaugural speech, the 88th Guild President H.E. Alionzi glorified God for the gift of life, studies and for his elevation to the position of Guild President. He saluted his parents, his uncle (Mr. Pariyo Albert), teachers, religious leaders and everyone who has significantly made a positive contribution to his life journey.
H.E. Alionzi appreciated the students for not only participating in the Guild elections, but also choosing him as their next leader. The Guild President expressed readiness to work with every student at Makerere University regardless of his or her political and religious affiliation.
“I was voted by the students. I believe in a Guild for the students, by the students. During the three months of the Guild Government, I will prioritise dialogue and intellectual discourse,” said H.E. Alionzi.
The Guild President is fully committed to working with the University Management to prioritise the renovation of Halls of Residence as well as proposals aimed at expanding teaching and learning facilities on campus.
While handing over the Office, the 87th Guild President of Makerere University, H.E. Shamim Nambassa congratulated the 88th Students’ Guild upon their election and appealed to them to be result oriented.
“In execution of your duties, please always remember the students who voted you into office. Prioritise the demands and interests of the students. Stand with Makerereans and remain accountable to them for the time you will spend in office,” she said.
Delivering the closing remarks, the Dean of Students, Mrs. Winifred Kabumbuli, informed the 88th Students’ Guild about an upcoming induction workshop organized by the Dean of Students where the Students’ Guild will interact/engage with key University officials and experts in different fields.
The Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has today, Friday, 26th June 2026 handed over the CCE (Complex) Hall of Residence Site to National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) Managing Director and CEO, Lieutenant General James Mugira for renovation and overhaul works. The UGX 12billion Government of Uganda-funded works, expected to be completed within a year, are the fourth project to be undertaken by NEC. They were preceded by; construction of the University Perimeter Wall, Renovation of Lumumba Hall, and Renovation of Mary Stuart Hall.
NEC’s Record Lauded
Prof. Nawangwe in his remarks at the handover ceremony lauded these projects. “The quality of work done by NEC makes us proud because we can finally say that we have Ugandans who can do the things, which we previously depended on foreigners to do.” He therefore thanked the Government of Uganda for fully funding the projects and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Museveni, whose visit set the renovation projects in motion.
The Vice Chancellor added that as the Alma mater for most members of both the Contractor and Project Management Teams, this was a moment of great pride as their expertise and skills have saved the country billions of taxpayers’ money. “Thank you for being patriotic”, he commended.
Prof. Nawangwe concluded by noting that CCE Hall, by virtue of its location, provides a first impression of Makerere University as a whole. He therefore urged the contractor to ensure that upon renovation, CCE Hall would create a memorable and lasting first impression, exceeding even that of the renovated Mary Stuart Hall.
A Project Fueled by Nostalgia
Speaking of impressions, Lt. Gen. Mugira, with nostalgia recalled that close to 42 years ago, he not only attended his first lectures in Hall 1 of the CCE Complex but also, on a more personal note added, “my wife was a resident, and so I have every motivation to put in a lot of effort and make sure that I deliver more than was done with Mary Stuart and Lumumba.”
He therefore extended heartfelt appreciation to his Alma mater Makerere University for the trust and confidence bestowed in NEC, which underscored their ability to deliver. “Trust is earned through performance, through integrity and consistency, and your decision to engage us motivates us to work even harder to exceed your expectations.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Henry Alinaitwe reechoed the need to ensure that the project is executed with adherence to the cost, quality, specifications and safety related issues as earlier shared by the Acting (Ag.) Chief Engineer of Estates and Works, Eng. Ezra Sekadde.
“NEC has already demonstrated this (with previous projects), and that is why we have all the confidence that you can deliver this project within 12 months” remarked Prof. Alinaitwe. He equally lauded the Project Management Team (PMT) led by Arch. Dr. Kenneth Ssemwogerere whose supervision ensures timely project completion.
Relatedly, Arch. Dr. Semwogerere was on 25th June 2026, the eve of the handover, promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, a milestone Prof. Alinaitwe attributed to his track record as Head of PMT. He therefore, on a light note, urged him to keep up the good work as this could equally contribute to his promotion to the rank of full Professor.
Also present at the handover ceremony was the Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) Prof. Anthony Mugagga, whose unit will be greatly affected by the renovations. He nevertheless welcomed and reiterated his full support for the project, noting that just as renovation of Lumumba and Mary Stuart Halls had resulted in many alumni revisiting, the CCE Complex would upon renovation attract former residents and teaching professionals to give back or forge new partnerships.
Student Welfare at the Forefront
On her part, the Dean of Students Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli lauded the renovations of Halls of Residence as a clear demonstration of Government’s dedication to the improvement of student welfare, and creating an environment conducive for nurturing responsible citizens who can contribute to national development. She pledged her Office’s and the Student Leadership’s readiness to ensure that the renovated facilities used responsibly for the benefit of future generations.
As a resident of the recently renovated Mary Stuart Hall, 92nd Guild President H.E. Kadondi Gracious could not help but appreciate how impactful the renovation of CCE Hall would be to student welfare. “The female students will be very excited (to occupy CCE Hall) but the male students will be left complaining – so we shall be expecting more renovations, not just for the female but also the male students,” she amiably concluded.
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