General
Top Management Strengthens Capacity to Align Mak Operations to NDPIII
The Top Management of Makerere University were from 27th to 29th April, 2023 engaged in a Strategic Leadership Training aimed at equipping them with skills required to bridge current operational gaps and link their day-to-day delivery to the University’s strategic plan as well as the Third National Development Plan (NDP III) priorities. The training attended by over 50 participants who included the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellors, Heads of Administrative Units, College Principals and their deputies was equally aimed at enhancing the appreciation of current public finance management provisions for prudent management of public financial resources, as well as strengthening leadership and team delivery skills for optimal outcomes.
Officially opening the Training, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe noted that the Top Management had the joint responsibility of ensuring that Makerere’s legacy built upon the hard work and dedication of its leadership over the last 100 years is upheld. He therefore asked participants to reflect on what Makerere’s role ought to be in next 100 years, especially in terms of building a modern and prosperous Uganda.
He noted that although the strategic plan outlines; A research-led university, Innovation in teaching and learning, and An engaged university with enhanced partnerships as its overarching goals, it was the fourth; A Professionally Governed, Equitable, Inclusive And Gender Mainstreamed Institution that was most relevant to the training
The Vice Chancellor therefore urged participants to observe the hallmarks of; Human Resource Management, Time Management, and Efficient and Effective Planning in order to promote a professionally governed university.
Additionally, Assoc. Prof. Suzie Nansozi Muwanga, Executive Director of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC) thanked the university Management for the opportunity to partner at the strategic level. She added that as a result of its synergetic relationship with hosts Makerere University and the Uganda Management Institute (UMI), JNLC had tapped into the extensive research and training experience of facilitators to offer leadership training and mentorship to youth in Uganda as well as the East African Community.
Furthermore, she shared that JNLC has worked with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme to develop a leadership course that will be accessible to all students on the Makerere University E-Learning Environment (MUELE). Assoc. Prof. Nansozi Muwanga therefore expressed hope that the training would accord participants a personal and corporate appreciation of the role they ought to play in order to ensure that the University Strategic Plan and NDPIII aspirations are achieved.
The Strategic Training was split into three sessions covering 1) Leadership and Corporate Governance, 2) Public Finance Management and 3) Human Resource Management. Mr. Dison Okumu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Institute of Corporate Governance facilitated the first session, while Mr. Stephen Ojambo, Commissioner, Treasury Inspectorate and Policy Department in the Accountant General’s Office facilitated the second session. Mr. Allan Muhereza, the Commissioner, Human Resource Planning and Development at the Ministry of Public Service facilitated the third session.
The final day of Training was dedicated to sessions on Financial Literacy, Mental Health and Servant Leadership facilitated by Mrs. Gloria Jombwe, Dr. Herbert Rwakiseta and Prof. Julius Kiiza respectively. The training also featured Constructive Team Building activities facilitated by Bwongo Consult.
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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