Right to Left: The Chancellor-Prof. Ezra Suruma, Vice Chancellor-Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, DVCAA-Prof.Umar Kakumba, DVCFA-Prof. Henry Alinaitwe and the Mace-bearer Ms. Praise Muruye on Day 3 of the 73rd Graduation Ceremony on 15th February 2023.
It was merrymaking at the Freedom Square as 1,819 students of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) received PhDs, masters and undergraduate degrees on the third day of the 73rd Graduation on February 15, 2023. Of these, 891 are male while 928 are female. The college graduated 3 PhDs, 376 Masters, 11 post graduate diplomas and 1,429 undergraduate students.
During the celebrations, one of our partners, Prudential Uganda, rewarded the best 5 performing students from the Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science with USD500 and a professional study scholarship. The students recognized and their respective CGPAs include; Nanfuka Rebecca Rosette with 4.55, Mukiibi Cyrus with 4.15, Angura Kupa Abraham with 4.02, Mwesigwa Mark Lewis with 4.00 and Akumu Gloria Agnes with 3.99.
The Chancellor Prof. Ezra Suruma (2nd L) witnesses as a Prudential Uganda representative presents a USD 500 dummy cheque to Nanfuka Rebecca Rosette (2nd R) who scored a CGPA of 4.55 in the Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science. This was on Day 3 of the 73rd Graduation Ceremony of Makerere University held on 15th February 2023.
One students of the college under the MasterCard Foundations scholarship received an award for exceptional performance. Nanyunja Fatumah got a first class degree in the Bachelor of Business Administration and was awarded a plaque in recognition of her excellent performance. Other high performing students rewarded by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) were Nassali Tendo with a CGPA of 4.7 in the Bachelor of Science in Business Statistics, Ariong Emmanuel with a CGPA of 4.62 in Bachelor of Statistics and Okiria Eric Junior who scored a CGPA of 4.62 in the Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics.
The Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) also rewarded the best Masters of Economics student Namuleme Hilda with a CGPA of 4.91. Namuleme is set to receive a yearlong young professionals program opportunity tenured at EPRC.
Top 5 Actuarial Science students; Mukiibi Cyrus (2nd L), Mwesigwa Mark Lewis (3rd L), Nanfuka Rebecca Rosette (4th R), Akumu Gloria Agnes (3rd R) and Angura Kupa Abraham (2nd R) with the team from Prudential Uganda.
A total of 13,221 graduands will receive degrees and diplomas of Makerere University during the course of the 73rd graduation ceremony. Of these, a total of 102 graduands will graduate with PhDs, 1,378 with Masters, 11,598 with Bachelor’s degrees and 143 with undergraduate and post graduate diplomas. 52 per cent of the graduands are female while 48 % are male. 41 of the 102 PhD graduands and 563 of the 1,378 Masters graduands are female, representing 40% and 41% respectively.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, congratulated the students, parents and staff of the college. “I also congratulate the members of staff that are graduating today as well as children and spouses of members of staff and their parents or spouses,” the Vice Chancellor said.
The Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma (C) witnesses as the Executive Director EPRC, Dr. Sarah Ssewanyana (L) congratualtes the best Masters of Economics student Namuleme Hilda (R) who scored a CGPA of 4.91.
Prof. Nawangwe congratulated the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara and the Vice Chairperson of Council, Rt. Hon. Daniel Fred Kidega upon their re-appointment.
The Vice Chancellor congratulated CoBAMS staff upon the research being carried out in the college, saying Makerere strives to transform into a research-led University. “The Research and Innovations Fund, that was made possible through a Government grant of UGX 30 billion annually, has transformed Makerere tremendously, with very many innovations in agriculture and food security, health, engineering, education, veterinary medicine, artificial intelligence, economics and business management, and the social sciences that are already changing the lives of our people,” he said.
The Principal CoBAMS, Prof. Eria Hisali listens to proceedings on Day 3 of the 73rd Graduation Ceremony.
The Vice Chancellor informed the graduands that the university has developed measures to fast track the issuance of transcripts and certificates. Previously, for one to receive the academic documents, he or she was required to clear with more than 10 offices. “We have reviewed this and one is now required to clear with only two (2) offices,” the VC said. Prof. Nawangwe pledged that going ahead, the university would issue transcripts after one month. The VC called on the students to be good ambassadors, to trust in God and to remember that the gates of Makerere will always be open for those that seek more knowledge.
The Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma, who presided over the ceremony congratulated the graduands and commended the PhD research undertaken by the awardees. He particularly commended the research on how we can improve educational attainment in UPE and USE where learning outcomes have continued to be below standard. The study also recommended improving internal financial controls in schools.
Some of the PhD Graduands on Day 3 of the 73rd Graduation Ceremony.
“Two other studies in the College of Business and Management Sciences attracted my attention; one was on the demand for healthcare and health insurance in Uganda and the other was about the impact of technical vocational training on employment. There is no doubt that both healthcare health insurance and employment are leading national concerns. I am therefore very pleased to see research coming from Makerere tackling issues that are at the heart of our country’s social and economic welfare,” Prof. Suruma said.
He commended the spirit of hard work, endurance, self-control and discipline among the students, adding that the degrees being awarded are testimony to the hardships, the discipline, the commitment, the pain and the tears the students have shed over decades of academic struggle.
The Chancellor Prof. Ezra Suruma (C) witnesses as a Prudential Uganda representative presents a USD 500 dummy cheque to Mwesigwa Mark Lewis (R) who scored a CGPA of 4.00 in the Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science. This was on Day 3 of the 73rd Graduation Ceremony of Makerere University held on 15th February 2023.
He also appreciated the parents for the financial support to the students despite the economic hardships.
To the graduands, the chancellor said, “the hour has now come for you to go out to the field, to fight the good fight, to run the race for which you have been preparing. I appeal to you to remember love in the middle of the tough battles ahead. Remember love. Pray for the possibility of joy in a sad world. Ponder the possibility of godliness and contentment in a broken world. Remember love in an apparently loveless world.”
Highlights of the year 2022 as we celebrate
Government, through the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development accepted to take over support of the Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence at the College. The Centre supports government to provide advanced practical oriented training in Tools for Public Investment Analysis as well as research.
Some of the PhD Graduands on Day 3 of the 73rd Graduation Ceremony.
The Environment for Development Centre won funding to the tune of 400,000 USD from SIDA to support capacity building for senior government officials in the area of Inclusive Green Economy. This is part of the ongoing efforts globally to ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth. The Center also successfully hosted the Joint Cross Country Workshop of the global network of EfD Centers at an event that took place in Kampala in July 2022.
The quality of Programmes at the College has continued to attract valuable partnerships. The ACCA Global accredited our Bachelor of Commerce Degree program and in so doing has given an exemption of eight of the possible thirteen papers to students graduating from our Bachelor of Commerce Degree Programme. The College also partnered with Prudential Assurance Uganda Limited to recognize outstanding students of Actuarial Science Programme. The leading five students graduating from the Programme will receive a full scholarship to pursue the Professional Actuarial qualification in addition to a cash prize of 500 USD.
Makerere University has hosted this year’s Center for the Study of African Economies (CSAE) workshop that brings together scholars across the world.
The workshop started on November 27and is expected to run up to November 30 at Makerere University Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility II (CTF).
The Center has brought together economic scholars from Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia among others to discuss how the economy of Africa can be developed through conducting research.
According to Prof Eria Hisali, the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), they are looking at scholars doing research to the extent that it can help them to understand the problems hindering development, understanding the obstacles and finding the correct solutions to the development of the African countries.
“Researchers are presenting their research to get advice, get room for improvement and pave a way of translating the research finding into policies,” he said.
He noted that it is a great opportunity for researchers from different universities both on the African continent and outside the continent to present the work that they are doing and to understand the economies of the different countries.
This years’ conference is attended by about 40 speakers on the continent and around 10 speakers from Europe, Asia, and North America, Canada among others discussing different areas that are relevant to understanding the economies.
These include the Natural resources and environmental misuse, fiscal policies and monetary policies, agriculture, inequality and poverty and trade and structural transformation among others.
Prof Hisali said Uganda’s problems arise from her structural formation but there is need to look beyond just the physical problems like poverty and unemployment and establish the root cause of that.
“It is true we have unemployment in Uganda and we still need to grapple with issues of poverty but we need to appreciate that unemployment, poverty among others are not the primary problems, they are actually effects of certain underlying problems. So, we want researchers to understand what explains unemployment as we see it,” he explained.
Prof Stefan Dercon, the Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford who doubles as the Director of CSAE revealed that African researchers need to improve the quality of their work and create avenues for associating with policy makers to appreciate their work for the development of their economies.
“Scholars are presenting their research and we give them feedback, share knowledge and learn from each other. A lot of research is still academic because we don’t create space for advisors. Very many economists are not good translators of research not only in Uganda but throughout the world,” he noted.
Prof Ibrahim Mike Okumu, the Dean of the School of Economics said this forum brings together scholars to discuss issues of the African economy among their colleagues who appreciate the African context saying, “They are here for quality checks. We have an opportunity to improve the quality of research papers that scholars across the African continent have developed. By improving the quality, we are trying to get authenticity, proof that the methodologies, the quality of analysis that we have is of standard and consequently we can have credibility regarding policy recommendation that will come from research papers.”
African scholars have come from Cameroon, Morocco, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Botswana among others…
He re-echoed the message from the Principal concerning the problems affecting Uganda noting that they are not unique to Uganda, she (Uganda) is just struggling with sluggish structural transformation and that is the transition from agriculture to industry which he says is the same story across Africa.
“For as long as industries are not able to create sufficient jobs, the economy cannot pick up because the industry is what moves agriculture forward and is what gives business to the service sector. For as long as industry is not robust enough then you tend to have weak service and agricultural sectors,” he emphasized.
Dr Oluwabunmi Adejumo, a senior lecturer at Obafeemi Awolowo University in Nigeria who is conducting research on the clashes between herders and farmers from different states of the country from which over 10,000 fatalities were registered in 2020, advocates for a law of migrating herders to a separate place and stay away from farmers.
She noted that herders in Nigeria graze their cattle on the crops of farmers when the green space is exploited as a result of climate change like drying out of Lake Chad.
“I am suggesting a policy that I think will bring back sanity in Nigeria especially among herders and farmers,” she said.
This is the second time that this workshop is being held on the African continent, the first one was held in Ghana. The rest of other conferences have been held at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
Makerere University in partnership with Promote Uganda Company Limited (PROUL) is set to establish an agro-processing skilling hub next year to expose students to agricultural machinery.
The hub that will be based at Makerere University main campus in Kampala will house agricultural machines that add value to agricultural products.
While unveiling the initiative on Thursday, November 23 during the opening day of the three-day 2nd Innovation and Agro-processing machine exhibition at Makerere University’s Freedom Square, Mr David Nsubuga, the Director for PROUL said many youths remain unemployed despite their academic qualifications and it is high time they embraced new technology to create more job opportunities for the graduates. He revealed that the university will be signing a memorandum of understanding with PROUL next week.
“On top of the courses students are studying, we are going to establish a skilling center where they can be exposed to the machines that add value to agricultural products. We believe that when they start buying and selling finished agricultural products, this, will start them on the journey of industrialists.” he noted
The Vice Chancellor, represented by his deputy Prof. Umar Kakumba, revealed that the university has student innovators who just need backup funds to transform the agricultural sector.
“They have innovated machinery that can do irrigation. We are partnering with Promote Uganda Limited to showcase some of the innovations and to be able to connect them to banks which can give them credit and be able to promote their machinery that they are producing including those that do a lot with production of finished goods.” He said in a message delivered by Prof Umar Kakumba, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of academics.
Prof. Umar Kakumba (Centre) with Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga (Right) and PROUL Director-Mr. David Nsubuga (Left).
Student innovators of agricultural machinery are those pursuing degree programmes related to bioprocessing engineering, water resources engineering, dealing with mechanical engineering and students of business management sciences among others.
The 2nd innovation and Agro-processing machine expo is a three day exhibition that will run from Thursday, November 23 to Saturday, November 25.
Prof Kakumba understands 80 percent of Makerere graduates fail to get formal employment and revealed the need to inject money in such innovations to harness surging number of unemployed youth flooding the streets of Kampala looking for what to do saying, “Every year, higher institutions of learning and tertiary institutions produce about 150,000 students and yet government job slots are around 30,000 only which is a great blow to students who want white collar jobs,” he added
Mr Steven Byantwale Tibeijuka, the Director Crop Protection in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Fisheries and Industries who represented the minister for Agriculture, Mr Frank Tumwebaze pledged on behalf of the government to support the skilling hub that will be established at Makerere University next year.
“I ask the University to put it into writing and address the letter to the minister, the government cannot fail to give you funds once everything is ready,” he pledged
Dr Cathy Mbidde, the manager of the Makerere University Innovation hub said the hub was established in August 2022 under the office of the Vice Chancellor to commercialise the innovations from basically research that the university does and their main goal is to create awareness of the agro-processing machinery.
She added: “When you look at the current Uganda National Development Plan III government’s agenda goal one is agri-industrialisation. As the University, yes we do research and teach but how do we work with the private sector to achieve that goal. We have students who have done research and discovered nutritional values but they don’t have the machinery and access.”
She believes this expo will act as an eye opener to young innovators to team up and purchase the agricultural machinery they need to start up small companies and food processing enterprises while still at the university.
According to her, every year Makerere University graduates around 13,000 students and they can’t find jobs anywhere so there is a need to come up with financing models through financing companies, Non-governmental organisations, and the government to help them to get machinery on credit.
Promote Uganda limited is a company that produces agricultural machinery and their partnership with the university is to introduce the idea of using machines to add value to agricultural products.
When many students graduate, they fail to get formal employment, and end up going to Arab countries where many have lost their lives.
Mr Nsubuga wants the skilling training on operation of agricultural machinery to be added to the students’ courses.
The skilling center will help students to become entrepreneurs and know how to utilise raw materials that are readily available from agriculture to make value added products. The expo is a cross-cutting student exhibition.
Mr Anthony Akandwanaho, a student from Busitema University, said had come to exhibit a day and night dryer invented by his lecturer.
“The machine uses solar thermal during the day to dry the products which it collects directly from the sun and transpires the heat to the products for drying and solar energy during the night,” he said
He noted that this machine dries products from both animal and plant types including meat, chicken, fruits and vegetables. And the maximum drying time for products is 24 hours, for those with higher moisture content like pineapples. However, for products like meat, it dries them within eight hours.
“The unique beauty with it is that you collect the water from the product and can be used for domestic purposes.” Mr Akandwanaho explained
The student also exhibited a chicken de-feathering machine which is able to rip all feathers from the chicken. The mode of operation is that you slaughter the chicken and soak it in warm water for about one minute and transfer the chicken to the machines and in 15 seconds, the feathers are all removed. Its production rate is three chicken per minute.
Some of the exhibited machinery include a garden sprayer, a maize mill, grain grinder stainless, potato slicer, electric chips cutter, vacuum sealer, food dryer, bone Shaw, meat cutter among others.
The Inclusive Green Economy program of the Environment for Development Initiative in Uganda on 17th November hosted stakeholders across the country’s sectors to get their perspectives on biomass transition to clean energy sources in Uganda.
Uganda’s IGE engagement specialists Dr. Peter Babyenda says this is one of the work plan item on on social inclusion where stakeholders were identified by IGE fellows during the 17th EfD Annual meeting in Ghana.
IGE Engagement Specialist, Dr. Peter Babyenda addressing the stakeholders.
In a meeting held at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala, stakeholders gave the situation analysis of biomass use in the country, where they want to go, how to go there and who should take the country there.
“We found out that almost 90% of our households depend on biomass whether in rural areas or town. This is attributed to cultural issues where certain foods are believed to have good taste when cooked on firewood or charcoal, the fear to use electricity and gas that may result to shocks and fire explodes, inaccessibility to clean energy sources and affordability issues.”
The meeting resolved to primarily focus on behavioural change efforts of the sustainable use of biomass and gradual transitioning to clean energy sources.
Some of the participants engaged in group discussions.
’We concluded that for now we cannot say let us move to clean energy but go slowly go slowly on sustainable use of biomass by planting more trees so that instead of depending on natural forests, we depend on plantation forests, use energy saving stoves and those that can save users on effects of smoke and slowly move to clean energy sources by connecting households to electricity and make it affordable and make gas available at an affordable cost’´Babyenda said.
The meeting also proposed the need for more awareness creation about alternative energy sources such as biogas for schools and prisons.
Representing the Principal College of Business and Management Sciences, Dr. Yawe Bruno thanked Sida through the EfD Global hub at the University of Gothenburg for funding the IGE program and the EfD-Mak centre.
Dr. Bruno Yawe representing the Principal CoBAMS.
“The use of biomass in Uganda has persistently remained high. 80% use firewood and 13% charcoal for cooking but there is a proportion that use a combination of those two. This imposes great implication for household welfare.
Biomass usage affect our productivity, schooling of children, labour market participation especially by women and children. On health, the use of biomass especially firewood causes eye defects, breathing difficulties, snake bites, body dislocations and sexual abuse,” He explained.
Besides household effects, Yawe noted that reliance on biomass has effects on the environment.
One of the female participants (Right) presenting on behalf of Group One.
Yawe reported that Uganda’s forest cover is being threatened by biomass usage reducing it from 24% in 1990 to less than 9% to date. Transiting to renewable and clean energy requires clear understanding of supply and demand relationship for both biomass and clean energy.
“We must know what drives the uptake and while many can afford gas and electricity, why are we insisting that we should have charcoal? Comparatively, a 6kg gas cylinder costs 60 thousand and today a bag of charcoal costs not less 70 thousand but some households find it cheaper which is expensive and because of the felling of trees, the quality of charcoal may not last more than a week,”
He challenged stakeholders to find out why the supply and demand for biomass is still high amidst detrimental effects and why the supply for clean energy is still low amidst numerous innovations.
Dr. Mike Okumu delivering the remarks.
Representing the Director EfD-Mak Center, the Dean, School of Economics Dr. Mike Okumu said many households are struggling to transition from firewood and charcoal due to socioeconomic characteristics that define them.
Okumu attributed the climate change effects to the household behaviours and enterprise behaviour and challenged stakeholders to find innovative ways of co-existing with the environment to enhance productivity and also feed communities
He congratulated the IGE engagement specialists for being intentional in identifying the participants taking into account that the majority and poorest population resides in the rural Uganda, and Uganda’s biggest population being the youth.
One of the male participants (Right) presenting feedback from the group discussions.
The meeting comprised specialists in environmental conservation, researchers in renewable energy specifically biomass energy, persons dealing in innovations in sustainable productivity, those working with rural energy transition and renewable energy through use of waste plants and animal residues and persons engaged in youth environmental initiative particularly agroforestry.
Okumu also congratulated the EfD-Mak centre for bringing on board collaborative partners from different Ministries, Departments and Agencies , the private sector and Civil Society organisations.
Group One discussions pinned.
He expressed the centre’s commitment to engage in similar engagements for purposes of having a drive into a cleaner Uganda and mitigating climate change effects on Uganda’s economy and a drive to having persons making informed decisions towards a better climate sensitive Uganda.
Jane Anyango is the Communication Officer EfD Uganda