Members of the Makerere University Council led by the Chairperson Mrs. Lorna Magara (5th Left) during their visit to the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), on 1st March 2023.
Members of the Makerere University Council under the leadership of Mrs. Lorna Magara reached out to the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) with a view of getting acquainted with the college and how it operates especially for the new members on the Council.
Mrs. Lorna Magara in the middle, the Chairperson Makerere University Council with Mr. Karugire Edwin, the Chairperson of the Appointments Board (Right), and the Principal CEDAT, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe (Left).
The team had an interface with the CEDAT leadership and staff on Wednesday 1st March, 2023 during which issues of mutual interest were discussed. Key among these was the need to quicken the accreditation process of programs offered by the college.
‘The purpose of our visit is to get to know you, know what you are bringing on the table of the University and the nation’, said Mrs. Lorna Magara during the meeting held in the college Boardroom, attended by the Principal, Heads of Departments, Deans and other staff of the college.
The entourage of members of the Council included Mr. Karugire Edwin, the Chairperson of the Appointments Board, Dr. Sarah Ssali, Chairperson Quality Assurance, Gender & ICT Committee, Mr. Ssenngonzi Ddamulira, a Council member, Mr. George Bamugemereire, the Chair Chairperson – Legal, Rules, Privileges & Estates Committee, Mr. Bruce Kabaasa, Chairperson of the Finance, Planning, Administration & Investment Committee.
The Principal College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology Prof. Henry Alinaitwe while welcoming the delegation to the college extended his congratulations to the Chairperson and other members of Council for their election to the University’s top governing body. He informed the meeting that by June 2023, he was leaving the office of Principal and also took off a moment to extend his appreciation to his constituents in the college that gave him the mandate to serve two years term.
Prof. Eng. Henry Mwanaki Alinaitwe, The Principal College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University.
Prof. Alinaitwe highlighted a number of programs and activities ongoing in the College, citing some programs that were getting phased out namely Computer Engineering and the Bachelor of Fine Art that was replaced by three individual programs including Visual Communication, Design and Multi Media, Industrial Art and Applied Design and Fine Art.
Prof. Alinaitwe introduced the Council members to the International Centers operating at the College such as the African Center of Excellence in Materials, Product Development and Nano-Technology, MAPRONANO, the East African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREEE) among others.
The Principal also highlighted staffing issues at the College noting that the high staff turnover coupled with the big number of part time staff needed urgent attention. He appealed to Council to render all the necessary support to ensure that the staff matters are handled with the urgency they deserve. The low number of technicians and support staff that left a serious challenge in the administrative functioning of the college was also noted.
In the area of research,Members of Council were informed that the college benefited greatly from Government of Uganda support through PRESIDE, as well as the MakRIF project that continues to support the ever increasing research output by staff. He noted that until recently when it came to a close, CEDAT benefited greatly from SIDA support which helped address the area of staff training and research. The Principal further informed the Council members of the need to increase the laboratory spaces as well as equipping them with modern equipment and software.
Members of the College leadership listen to proceedings.
During the deliberations, it was revealed that majority of the challenges were cutting across colleges and CEDAT as the home of Engineering programs was encouraged to support the University by coming up with solutions to some of the challenges faced by the University for instance infrastructure. It was proposed that CEDAT was well placed to design a staff performance monitoring system as well as come up with measures to curb the dropout rates in programs like Architecture.
On 5th September 2025, at the Sheraton Hotel, Makerere University’s School of Engineering joined the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co., Ltd. (CPP) to witness the launch of the scholarship, during which the beneficiaries, mainly second-year engineering students, received scholarships to cover tuition and functional fees for three years.
Speaking at the event, EACOP’s Corporate Affairs and HR Director, Ms. Irene Baguma, representing the MD, noted that this is a joint programme with EACOP and CPP (Uganda). She said the mission of EACOP & CPP goes beyond the pipeline to uplifting communities, demonstrating their commitment to corporate social responsibility. They urged scholars to stay focused because they are ambassadors of hope and will, one day, bring hope and give back to the community.
Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule, the Deputy Principal of CEDAT, spoke on behalf of the College, extending appreciation to the parties for the scholarships awarded to the students. He said this will enable the students to concentrate on their studies and have fewer worries about raising the tuition.
On August 21, 2025, a delegation from the Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) improvement project visited Roofings Rolling Mills’ facility in Namanve Industrial Park. The visit represented the project’s fourth major engagement with industry stakeholders, continuing its goal to foster a world-class safety culture within Uganda’s engineering and industrial sectors.
This OSHE initiative is a collaboration among Makerere University, Busitema University, and Kyambogo University, with support from the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom. It aims to establish Centres of Excellence at each university, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and practical industry application of Occupational Safety, Health and Environment(OSHE) standards.
The Makerere University team, led by Dr. Abubaker Matovu Waswa, Head of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) and Principal Investigator of the project, received a warm welcome from a senior delegation of Roofings Rolling Mills. The reception involved key engineers from the Health and Safety Department, along with Human Resources and Production Managers, highlighting the company’s strong commitment to collaborative innovation and industrial partnership.
A high-level delegation from the Department of Construction Economics and Management, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), led by Head of Department Dr. Nathan Kibwami, has engaged the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) in strategic discussions aimed at unlocking new financing avenues for Ugandan businesses through asset securitization.
Accompanied by staff members Ronald Kaweesi and Tulikuno Collins, the delegation met with USE officials to explore collaborative opportunities focused on transforming both tangible and intangible assets into viable financial instruments for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Among the key proposals was the development of a postgraduate programme in securitization of tangible assets, designed to build local expertise in asset-backed financing and capital markets. The team also discussed guest lecturing opportunities on the Bachelor of Science in Valuation programme, aiming to enrich academic instruction with practical insights from Uganda’s financial sector.
The dialogue emphasized the importance of building synergies between academia and capital markets to guide Ugandan businesses, particularly SME, in leveraging their asset portfolios to access financing. This initiative is expected to enhance financial inclusion and stimulate economic growth by empowering enterprises to tap into alternative funding mechanisms.
Dr. Kibwami noted that the partnership could “reshape how Ugandan businesses perceive and utilize their assets, not just as operational tools, but as strategic financial resources.”
The Uganda Securities Exchange welcomed the initiative, highlighting its alignment with ongoing efforts to deepen Uganda’s capital markets and support enterprise development. This collaboration marks a significant step toward bridging the gap between academic research, professional training, and real-world financial innovation.