General
Mak Council Fully Constituted as Four Representatives Swear In
The Makerere University Council 2022 – 2026 was on 18th May 2023 fully constituted as the last four representatives of Senior Administrative Staff, the Convocation and Students were sworn in by Senior Principal Magistrate Grade I, Entebbe, Her Worship Stella Okwong Paculal. The ceremony, held in the Council Room, was attended by the Vice Chairperson of Council, Rt. Hon. Daniel Fred Kidega, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Members of Management, Staff, families of the representatives, and moderated by the University Secretary and Secretary to Council, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda.
One by one, the representatives led by Mr. Amanya Henry-Senior Administrative Staff took the Oath of the Member of Makerere University Council and the Oath of Secrecy, as their constituents applauded. He was followed by representatives; Mr. Mugabi George Turyamureeba-Convocation, 89th Guild President H.E. Maseruka Robert and 89th Vice Guild President H.E. Namiiro Mariat-Students.
Congratulating the representatives, Her Worship Okwong Paculal said that the oath the new members had taken was one of service and a reminder to already sworn in representatives that the public expected the best from them. Quoting from the Holy Bible, she took the opportunity to remind Members of Council to let their ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, ‘No.’ “We have seen your ‘Yes’ (as you swore in) today and we expect that you will abide by that oath.”
Speaking on behalf of the University Management, Prof. Nawangwe congratulated the newly sworn in representatives, and added “you have been appointed Members of Council of one of the most prestigious universities in the world.”
He reminded representatives that Makerere has been governed by very eminent Members of Council over the last 100 years, and that it was the role of this new Council to take the University to greater heights. “We expect that you will work with maximum integrity to ensure that our University not only remains as prestigious but also moves to a higher level.”
Representing the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara, Rt. Hon. Kidega thanked HW Okwong Paculal for presiding over the ceremony and congratulated the representatives upon being elected to Council by their constituents.
In particular, he congratulated the Guild and Vice Guild Presidents upon their election and requested them to balance between expectations of their constituency and the University Council’s work.
“We have had beautiful experiences with your predecessors; they had only three months but these felt like three years of work they have done with us. We really congratulate the outgoing leadership for the great work and we urge you to work closely with them and listen to them” added. Rt. Hon. Kidega.
The Vice Chairperson thanked the University Management led by Prof. Nawangwe for keeping the University in good shape. He added that Makerere is at the brink of being research-led, and that the hope of the whole nation was in the University Council and its members to help the institution achieve this objective.
Making mention of the oaths he took as Head Prefect of Ntare School and later as Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kidega invited representatives to pay critical attention to the words of the oath they had taken, as a guide to all the work they will undertake as Members of Council.
“Reflect or re-read the commitment you have made to this great University and Council and you will not make any mistakes. I would like to assure you that the University Council is a great place to work. This is my second term and I thank my colleagues who have allowed me to serve as the Vice Chairperson of this great University Council” he added.
The Makerere University Council is made up of twenty-four (24) members with appointees from Government, Council, Senate, Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), Ministry of ICT and National Guidance (MoICT) and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). Other appointees are from the National Union of Disabled Persons in Uganda (NUDIPU), Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), Makerere University Administrative Staff Association (MASA), Support Staff, Staff with Disabilities, Makerere University Convocation as well as the Students.
The fully constituted Council consists of appointees; Mrs. Lorna Magara (Chairperson), Rt. Hon. Daniel Fred Kidega (Vice Chairperson), and Mr. Edwin Karugire-Government; Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe-Vice Chancellor; Prof. Umar Kakumba-Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs); Prof. Henry Alinaitwe-Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration); Mr. Bruce Kabaasa Balaba, Dr. James L. Nkata, and Mr. George Bamugemereire-Council; Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze and Prof. Sarah Ssali-Senate; Dr. Edward Damulira Sengonzi-MoFPED; Mr. Timothy Musoke Sejjoba-MoES; Mr. Silas Ngabirano-MoICT; Mr. Julius Kateregga-KCCA; Mr. John Chris Ninsiima-NUDIPU; Dr. Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi and Dr. Dianah Ahumuza Ateenyi-MUASA; Mr. Amanya Henry-MASA; Mr. Byamukama Jackson-Support Staff; Mr. Amon Muteganda Kabahima-Staff with Disabilities; Mr. Mugabi George Turyamureeba-Convocation; H.E. Maseruka Robert and H.E. Namiiro Mariat-Students.
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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