Agriculture & Environment
East African EfD centers strategize on how to promote sustainable use of Lake Victoria Basin (LVB)
Lake Victoria is a trans-boundary natural resource, underpinning the economies and livelihoods of the population within the wider catchment area of Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. The most significant part of the Lake, 51%, is in Tanzania, occupying 35,088 Km. Uganda has 43% of the Lake, while Kenya has 6%.
The lake acts as a source of fresh water, fishing, a waste repository and provides food, energy, water for irrigation, industry, drinking, tourism within and cross border transportation.
However, the lake and its surrounding areas have faced many challenges including rising lake water levels, moving islands, encroachment, ecological and biodiversity degradation which is evident in the probable extinction of several fish species.
The violation of the buffer zone policy of 200 meters away from the lake by investors, industries, farmers and settlers, increasing pollutants in form of polythene bags, plastics and untreated wastes and poor fishing methods have changed the lake ecosystem.
East African governments are signatories to the regional and international treaties targeted at conserving, protecting and ensuring sustainable use of natural resources within the lake basin. Whereas the international treaties have been domesticated in national legislation and, institutions and agencies have been established with mandates to safeguard the fragile ecosystems, unstainable use and management of the lake basin persists. This is partly attributed to political interferences, ineffective monitoring and poor implementation of the existing laws on the management and utilization of the lake.
Because of unstainable management of the lake, countries have witnessed unprecedented consequences such as floods and mudslides, extreme and unpredictable weather changes including where dams could not generate electricity due to very low water level and many other livelihood, social and economic impacts including loss of lives.
East African EfD centers meet in Uganda to discuss LVB issues
On 7th June 2023, Environment for Development Initiative (EfD) Makerere University Uganda organized a one-day high level policy dialogue on changes of Lake Victoria’s hydrology, water quality and livelihoods that was hosted by Uganda’s environment watchdog – the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) at its head office in Kampala, Uganda.
The dialogue was attended by the three East African EfD Centres led by the Directors; Prof. Richard Mulwa (EfD-Kenya), Dr. Onesmo Selejio (EfD Tanzania) and Prof. Edward Bbaale, for EfD-Uganda. Each country was represented by the delegates from different agencies. Among others, delegates from Kenya included Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) of Kenya, Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) of Kenya and academia from the University of Nairobi. In Tanzania delegates spanned from Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Lake Victoria Basin, Mwanza, and other Academicians from Adhi University and University of Dar es Salaam. In Uganda, Delegates came from different agencies including Ministry of Finance, planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), National Planning Authority (NPA), Ministry of Water and Environment (MoWE), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Environmental Police Protection Unit (EPPU), and academicians from Makerere University.
The Executive Director NEMA and host of the dialogue Dr. Akankwasah Birerega also graced the meeting.
Each country presented an in-depth analysis of the issues around LVB pertinent to its areas of jurisdictions, and later went into plenary discussion where short, mid and long-term interventions were proposed
Giving the background to the meeting, the Director EfD-Mak center Prof. Edward Bbaale said the need for this meeting arose from the impacts Uganda felt in 2020 when the country experienced heavy rainfall that made the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) unable to hold the water and caused a lot of havoc and predicaments on livelihoods.
During the period of late January 2020, fears of Lake Victoria bursting its banks started to be felt which later was followed by damaging of several landing sites and settlements as a result of floods. This led to disasters that left almost half a million people homeless and property worth billions of money had been lost in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
In April 2020, heavy floods with the moving vegetation chocked the hydroelectric power generation turbines at Jinja on Lake Victoria leading to a total blackout of the entire nation during a presidential address to the nation.
As a center, Bbaale said, the EfD-Mak conducted an investigation on the cause and what Government of Uganda can do to circumvent some of the issues through conducting national wide policy tours and came up with a policy paper.
Bbaale attributed the 2020 floods to Climate change, Lake Sedimentation due to catchment degradation and Buffer zone encroachment and lack of Regional Consensus on a well-coordinated Policy of regulating Lake Victoria inflow and outflow
The Director however said it was noted that L. Victoria is a trans-boundary natural resource benefiting East African countries and a source of River Nile holding livelihoods in Egypt and Sudan and thus, what Uganda does was bound to affect other countries, hence the need for the East African EfD centers to converge and debate what they can do together in terms policy frameworks and to tap from one another’s best practices.
“The current problems may threaten Lake Victoria basin for centuries if not well addressed at present. For example, all the major lakeside cities in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania could lose access to Lake Victoria in as little as 100 years.
We thought that we could leverage on each other’s information and knowledge on what we have collected concerning lake Victoria basin, come together, understand the issues from each country and how we can come up with one voice in the East African parliament and individual policy making bodies in our countries”, Said Bbaale
Bbaale reported that Environmental valuation in Uganda has huge capacity gaps. And more than often, environmentalists have vaguely responded to the president to weigh an industry over maintaining a wetland and many politicians have failed on the floor of parliament.
In addition to a deepened trans boundary cooperation on the management of the lake, tackling point and non-point source pollution, Bbaale called for the development of a coherent plan for conservation and rehabilitation of the fish fauna in Lake Victoria, strengthening capacity and human resources in environmental valuation as well as involvement of the general public in the management of the lake and observance of the buffer zone size of 200m away from the lake.
See the detailed EfD Mak presentation at the bottom of the page.
A cross-cutting enforcement body and an integrated Lake Victoria Basin Management policy for East Africa needed while producers must be responsible for their waste – Prof. Mulwa Kenya EfD Centre
The Director EfD-Kenya Prof Richard Mulwa decried the continued unsustainable utilization of natural resources despite many meetings targeting LVB. He said, the target for policy making on the lake basin and its ecosystem has been a moving target and would require a dynamic, adaptive, and collaborative approaches in balancing utilization and conservation.
Prof. Mulwa expressed the need for continued reviews and dialogues that incorporate the changing dynamics for example the changing climate.
At national level, Prof. Mulwa reported that Kenya has adopted integrated organic agriculture to reduce use of agrochemicals, promotes sustainable land use practices such as agro-forestry, crop rotation, conservation agriculture, and strives to eliminate the destructive fishing gears and enforcement of the allowable catch.
Other national interventions according to Prof. Mulwa are enhancement of waste management technologies and incorporation of the oil spills management plan and adoption of cleaner production technologies in industrial sector and mining sector, elimination of the use of cyanide and use the GDA (Gold Dressing Agent), Regulation of the aquaculture and develop MSP for suitability mapping , Promotion of conservation activities, integrating environmental considerations in County Integrated Development Plans including advocating and lobbying to expedite the enactment of many of the regulations that may govern activities in Lake Victoria that are still drafts.
Regionally, the Kenyan EfD Centre called for the Development of an integrated Lake Victoria Basin Management Policy/Regulation, formulation ofa regional monitoring commission under the East African CommunityandEnactment of draft regulations by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC).
In addition to establishing an enforcing body that cuts across the five countries that share the resource, Prof Mulwa suggested that producers must be responsible for the waste they generate.
“Engage organizations on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) so each is responsible for waste collection and management around the basin and be able to care for the plastic bottles and how they are disposed’ He said.
See the detailed EfD Kenya presentation at the bottom of the page.
Declining water levels, water pollution and illegal fishing persistent challenges in Tanzania
Representing the Director EfD Tanzania, Dr. Rosemary Taylor said despite the immense contribution of the lake to many livelihoods, there is declining water levels due to evapotranspiration, given the Lake’s shallowness, poor land use practices, agricultural and industrial development, and water withdrawal for consumption.
The other threat and defining features of the lake’s water according to Dr. Taylor is eutrophication, poor water visibility, dramatic changes in nutrients, and hypoxia, resulting to a massive loss of biodiversity.
The deteriorating water quality was attributed the discharge of untreated municipal waste, industrial effluents, urban surface contaminated runoff, organic and inorganic waste for intensive agricultural activities, and municipality sewage.
To promote the sustainable use of the basin, Dr. Taylor submitted that Government of Tanzania signed various protocols and treaties with other partner countries, participates in regional organizations such as LVFO, formulated national legal and regulatory framework and established national agencies to facilitate the sustainability of the Basin. GoT also collaborates with development partners in promoting sustainable use of the Basin, fosters Local community awareness creation and engagements, and
Increased women’s participation in managing the basin’s resources.
Dr. Taylor however said, despite being signatory to regional and international protocols , illegal fishing leading to reduced fish stocks and water pollution leading to loss of biodiversity are the persistent challenges
Key findings from the national policy dialogue attributed the persistent challenges to unharmonized policies e.g., Diverse policies and strategies about various sectors, such as agriculture, fisheries, water, and tourism, may have conflicting objectives.
Other factors are the Inadequate implementation and loopholes of the existing legal and regulatory frameworks, Lack of a common objective and vision among the key players, Growing poverty among the locals and limited alternative sources of living among local people and the open access nature of the fishing activities.
“Harmonizing regional and national Policies, Laws, and Regulations can help establish consistent frameworks for sustainable management.
We also need to think about enhancing economic empowerment of local communities and stakeholder engagement (academia, private sector, etc.) and involving local communities in decision-making can enhance awareness creation and a sense of ownership of the basin’s resources”, Dr. Taylor submitted
See the detailed EfD Tanzania presentation at the bottom of the page.
Expand the horizon of your economics and put the economic value on every resource, ED NEMA to EfD Centers
The Executive Director NEMA Dr. Akankwasah Birerega underscored the role of the EfD initiative as the way to go on reason that quiet often the obstacles of the environment come from development and thus one cannot separate environment from development and vice versa.
“Environment for development is a very important initiative for pushing sustainable policies advocacy and making a case for conservation using the economic lens because most of the decision makers understand the economic lens faster than the ecological lens.
When you translate ecological lens to the economic lens, it is the same message but it will move faster.
If you say this forest is very important for rainfall formation and air we breathe, everybody will take it for granted as the usual talk of environmentalists. But if you give them what cost they will incur when the forest goes away, the message will sin faster.
When you tell people that air pollution will increase public expenditure on health management, the message moves faster than saying the air is bad. So we need economics to communicate environment because the most policy architects and policies in Africa are based on economics”, Dr. Birerega explained
He urged the EfD centers to to use the niche, ability and establishment they have to lead the shift to enhancing the broadness with which economics is looked with by expanding the horizon of economics to begin putting the economic value on every resource in environment be it water, air, pollution etc.
“Economics for development is a very significant vehicle for us to transform the way we look at things and therefore as NEMA we pledge our total commitment to working with you in delivering the objectives of economics for environment sustainability and development because there are no alternatives to that.
You cannot preach the gospel of ecology alone and succeed because development must happen. We should not look at development as brick and mortar and concrete but in a holistic manner”, NEMAs ED asserted.
Dr. Birerega expressed willingness to participate in the development and popularization of the policy paper arising from this dialogue noting that nationally and globally there is now a fair understanding of the value of environment due climate change, biodiversity loss and increasing levels of pollution.
“It is clear that you cannot ignore environment issues and continue talking about development. We ignored environment, it went silent and started fighting for itself and when it starts fighting, it always wins and so our politicians now have a fair view of the importance of the environment at national and global level”, He added.
He expressed hope that they no longer go through a lot of hustle to convince people for environment resources, the reason why there is a Climate Financing Unit in Ministry Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Short, midterm and long term propositions during the plenary discussions
- The need for further scientific studies into the issues affecting LVB.
- Have a database where information concerning the LVB can be maintained and looked at what happens 10 years ago to inform policy.
- Involvement of local communities in the management and protection of natural sciences as the users.
- Enhance capacity building in water science to monitor how the seas and lakes behave.
- Using science to inform policy frameworks and devise means to invoke governments to use science informed policies.
- Public participation in environmental related dialogues and utilization of local knowledge to protect the LVB and move away from academic ranks.
- Harmonization of policies on alternative livelihood alternatives to reduce dependence on nature eg price of electricity and Gas to reduce use of wood fuel.
- All policies must have the policy action in order to achieve the objectives.
- Governments should incentivize local communities to protect lake shores and curb illegal fishing.
- Emphasize ENR valuation and enforcement.
- Environmentalists should make arguments based on science to address environmental problems eg if sedimentation continues, for the next so years the lake will dry up, given the magnitude of pollution.
- Governments should adopt participatory approach to start from local communities to the ministries.
- Extend the mandate of the LVB to all East African water bodies including Burundi and Rwanda for better implementation.
- Revisit national policies on offering certificates for residential, hoteliers and industries in fragile ecosystems to avoid double standards.
- Address the issue of sedimentation to national leaders and point out that in countries like Chad, a lake disappeared.
- Make a case for Uganda’s Presidential directive banning charcoal use that it shows good political will. However, there is need to provide alternative survival mechanism for communities to succeed e.g. how affordable is LPG gas and electricity.
- Countries should form technical committees to visit other countries to learn the best practices.
- Discussion on LVB should be promoted around the East African level under the Natural Resources Commission to gain political will.
- Investing institutional capacity building to provide ENR Valuation.
- Gazeting wetlands and enhancing public awareness for enforcement to be successful.
- Think of mechanisms to win political will to fight selective enforcement of the law.
- Government should address the issue of sewerage systems and waste management near water sources and adopt sanitary dumping sites.
- Strengthening existing partnerships within the country and across boarders and borrow best practices from neighbors, and bring resources together.
- Need to devote efforts in financing chapter and resource mobilization beyond governments and donors for long term financing for LVB policy implementation and capacity building.
- Establish village committees to participate in project evaluation and check on performance indicators.
- Evoke the education system in the region to build real patriotism from primary on importance of natural resources and the need to preserve it for the next generation. Borrow from Germany the sense of ownership of natural resources. Most education level of the population fishing in East Africa is more concerned with making super normal profit not the health and future of the stocks.
- Institutional strengthening to enhance implementation of regional instruments to manage natural resources and Biodiversity.
It was agreed that a writing team is constituted to synthesize the research findings from the three countries and come up with a single document written in simple language that policy makers can easily appreciate.
Later on, members would convene virtually in a webinar and further synthesize that paper for use as a policy brief or advocacy tool for sharing with government entities.
Given the opportunity, the policy paper will be presented to committees of parliament and other stakeholders. At the same time, EfD Tanzania, residing in a country hosting the East African Parliament in Arusha, will seek an opportunity to articulate the issues in the East African Parliament to promote awareness on LVB, converse political support and inform policy making.
Jane Anyango is the Communication Officer, EfD-Mak Centre Uganda.
Agriculture & Environment
Makerere University, Uganda Red Cross Society Sign MoU to Advance Research, Training & Humanitarian Action
Makerere University and Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening collaboration in research, training, innovation, and humanitarian service delivery.
The agreement, signed on 19th May 2026, establishes a strategic framework through which the two institutions will jointly address pressing national and global challenges by combining academic research with practical humanitarian action.
The MoU was endorsed by Prof. Henry Alinaitwe Mwanaki, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), on behalf of Makerere University, and Mr. Robert Kwesiga, Secretary General of the Uganda Red Cross Society.
Purpose of the Partnership
The partnership brings together Makerere University’s expertise in research and higher education with the Uganda Red Cross Society’s experience in disaster response, emergency health services, and community outreach, to strengthen efforts in addressing humanitarian and public health challenges. Under the agreement, the institutions will collaborate on joint research projects, academic programmes, staff and student exchanges, and grant applications.
Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing
Building on this foundation, the two institutions will also work together to strengthen humanitarian assistance, volunteerism, health, and disaster risk management in Uganda through joint capacity-building initiatives. These will include short courses, training programmes, workshops, seminars, conferences, and other professional learning events, as well as the exchange and dissemination of case studies, best practices, and research findings.
Institutional Collaboration and Resource Mobilization
In addition, the partnership will deepen institutional collaboration through the development of strategic alliances, support for advocacy on capacity development action plans, and the promotion of stakeholder participation in each other’s programmes. It will further provide for joint resource mobilization- including co-development of funding proposals, and mutual access to institutional platforms that enhance skills development, methodological expertise, and knowledge transfer.
Student Engagement and Experiential Learning
The collaboration will also provide opportunities for Makerere University students to participate in humanitarian initiatives such as blood donation campaigns, volunteer services, and disaster response activities. In addition, students and staff will benefit from field-based training, internships, and experiential learning opportunities through the Uganda Red Cross Society.
Remarks from Makerere University
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Prof. Alinaitwe commended the Uganda Red Cross Society for its long-standing humanitarian service and strong international reputation. He explained that Makerere University, as a leading research institution, has a responsibility to strengthen humanitarian efforts through evidence-based research, innovation, and professional expertise. “This partnership demonstrates the university’s commitment to applying academic knowledge to real-world humanitarian challenges affecting communities across Uganda and beyond.”
Prof. Alinaitwe highlighted the role of young people in advancing humanitarian action, saying Makerere University’s large student population presents an opportunity to strengthen volunteerism, disaster preparedness, and community engagement initiatives. “Empowering students and young professionals through such partnerships not only contributes to national development but also nurtures a culture of compassion, civic responsibility, and leadership among the next generation,” he noted.
Highlighting potential areas of collaboration between the two institutions, including health services, emergency response, disaster risk management, research, training, and capacity building, Prof. Alinaitwe reaffirmed Makerere University’s strong commitment to humanitarian work. He expressed confidence that the partnership would foster meaningful opportunities for knowledge exchange, innovation, and joint initiatives aimed at improving the wellbeing and resilience of vulnerable communities across the country.
Remarks from Uganda Red Cross Society
Reflecting on the long-standing collaboration between the two institutions, URCS Secretary General, Mr. Robert Kwesiga, expressed gratitude to Makerere University for its continued support toward the organization’s humanitarian work. “The signing of the MoU marks a significant milestone in our partnership and serves as a renewed commitment to deepen collaboration in areas that directly advance public health, disaster preparedness, and community resilience, while enhancing the overall impact of humanitarian service delivery across the country.”
Mr. Kwesiga explained that the formal agreement will provide a structured framework for joint initiatives such as research, student engagement in humanitarian fieldwork, capacity building for staff and volunteers, and knowledge sharing in emergency response systems. According to him, this alignment between academic expertise and humanitarian practice is essential in addressing Uganda’s evolving social and health challenges.
“Makerere University’s role as a leading academic institution brings valuable technical and scientific capacity to the partnership, while the Uganda Red Cross Society contributes practical, field-based experience in disaster response and community support. Together, the two institutions are better positioned to design evidence-based interventions that save lives and strengthen vulnerable communities. The MoU will not remain a symbolic document, but will translate into tangible outcomes that benefit students, researchers, and the wider public through impactful programmes and sustained collaboration,” he noted.
Implementation and Duration
The agreement will run for an initial period of five years and is expected to strengthen Uganda’s capacity in research-driven humanitarian response and sustainable community development. At Makerere University, implementation of the MoU will be coordinated by Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze, Deputy Principal of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and member of staff in the Department of Geography, Geo-Informatics and Climatic Sciences, while Dr. Harriet Rachel Kagoya Kibuule will coordinate on behalf of the URCS.
Pictorial of the MoU signing ceremony: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUigt
Agriculture & Environment
CAES Engagement with Mak Senior Management: VC Calls for Expansion of PhD Training to Accelerate Development in Africa
Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, has called for a renewed focus on graduate training, research excellence, and innovation-driven scholarship as key pillars for Africa’s socio-economic transformation.
During a strategic engagement with staff at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) on 11 May 2026, Prof. Nawangwe, accompanied by members of the University’s senior management, commended the College for its significant contributions to research, innovation, and postgraduate training. “CAES is one of the most productive colleges at the University and continues to play a pivotal role in generating scientific knowledge and innovations that directly respond to societal and development challenges facing Uganda and the wider African continent,” he noted.
The meeting formed part of the University Leadership’s ongoing college-based consultation series aimed at strengthening collaboration across academic units and accelerating the institution’s research-led transformation agenda.
Call for Expansion of PhD Training in Africa
Prof. Nawangwe emphasized the central role of universities in addressing Africa’s development challenges through advanced research and human capital development, urging a significant expansion of doctoral training across the continent.
“In Africa, we have a duty to produce at least 1,000 PhDs annually if we are to meaningfully contribute to lifting our people out of poverty,” he said, calling on universities to become “engines of transformation through research, innovation, and the production of highly trained human capital.”
He challenged academic staff to prioritize multidisciplinary, high-impact research targeting critical issues such as food security, climate change, environmental sustainability, agricultural productivity, public health, and youth unemployment.
Research Funding and Institutional Capacity
Reaffirming Makerere University’s research standing, the Vice Chancellor noted that the institution has substantial capacity and funding to support large-scale research initiatives.
“As a one of the best universities in Africa, we must take the lead in research and graduate training. Makerere is not short of research funding. Our research portfolio exceeds 250 million US dollars,” he said.
He, however, stressed the need for stronger coordination and strategic planning to ensure research outputs translate into tangible societal impact.
Innovation, Patents, and Commercialization
On matters of innovation, patents, and commercialization of research outputs, Prof. Nawangwe informed staff that the University had established a dedicated office to support researchers in managing intellectual property rights and patent processes. He encouraged academic staff and researchers to fully utilize the facility in order to safeguard innovations emerging from the University and enhance their potential for commercialization and societal application.
The Vice Chancellor reaffirmed the University’s commitment to supporting colleges in improving graduate completion rates, strengthening research systems, and enhancing the quality and impact of higher education at Makerere University.
Industry Collaboration
In her remarks, the First Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Sarah Ssali, emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration between the University and industry to enhance practical training opportunities and ensure the relevance of graduate education. She encouraged academic staff to develop strategic niche areas of expertise, noting that deliberate specialization would sharpen research identities while significantly enhancing the College’s visibility, competitiveness, and influence at regional and international levels.
Prof. Ssali further stressed the importance of deliberate planning, accountability, and prudent management of research resources. She noted that effective management of research funds is central to sustaining innovation ecosystems, attracting future funding, and ensuring that research outputs translate into tangible benefits for communities, and the broader economy.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for staff to raise concerns affecting graduate training and research productivity, while proposing practical recommendations aimed at strengthening supervision, improving research infrastructure, enhancing funding accessibility, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.
Graduate Training and Innovation
Briefing the team on graduate training and research activities at the College, the Principal Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga emphasized the central role of graduate training in shaping innovators and problem solvers capable of responding to Uganda’s development challenges, including climate change, food insecurity, environmental degradation, low agricultural productivity, and unemployment.
She commended the Vice Chancellor for initiating college-based engagements, describing them as timely, strategic, and essential for strengthening institutional performance.
“These engagements demonstrate leadership that is not confined to management offices, but leadership that walks into the engine room of the University to understand what is working, what is struggling, and what must urgently improve,” she said.
In her presentation, Prof. Nabanoga emphasized the College’s strategic role in Uganda’s transformation agenda. She highlighted major strides made by the College in expanding graduate programmes in climate-smart agriculture, food systems, environmental management, renewable energy, agribusiness, and biodiversity conservation, with students increasingly contributing to scientific innovations, policy development, and community transformation.
CAES Transformation Initiatives
She also updated the team on the progress made in the implementation of the “CAES Transformation Pact,” unveiled in 2022, which prioritizes excellence in teaching, learning, research, innovation, and practical-based education. The initiative seeks to reposition the College to better respond to evolving national and global demands in higher education and sustainable development.
As part of these reforms, the College has revitalized practical training through enhanced field-based learning, internships, laboratory work, and research activities. With support from the Mastercard Foundation, CAES has also established a state-of-the-art digital studio laboratory to strengthen blended and digital learning.
The College is also promoting practical and field-based research through stronger utilization of the Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK), which is envisaged to become a world-class hub for applied research, climate-smart agriculture, and innovation incubation.
Partnerships and Graduate Training Systems
Prof. Nabanoga noted that strategic partnerships with organizations such as RUFORUM, Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa, Mastercard Foundation, and MakRIF have expanded opportunities for scholarships, research funding, international exposure, and innovation support.
She said CAES had adopted deliberate strategies to improve graduate training, including the rollout of the CAES GradCARE digital management system to streamline supervision, student tracking, and examination processes, alongside reforms aimed at strengthening graduate mentorship, interdisciplinary research, and innovation-driven learning.
Despite the progress, she cited growing pressure on supervision capacity, laboratory infrastructure, ICT systems, and graduate examination processes due to rising enrolment and limited staffing.
She called for stronger institutional investment, faster administrative systems, and enhanced infrastructure to support high-quality graduate education and research.
“The future of this University will be determined by the researchers, innovators, and leaders we nurture,” Prof. Nabanoga said, reaffirming the College’s commitment to advancing Makerere University’s vision as a globally respected research-led institution.
Alignment of Research to National Development Priorities
Highlighting the key challenges in graduate training and research, the Deputy Principal, Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze, emphasized the need to better align research activities with community priorities as well as national and global development agendas. He further underscored the importance of strengthening graduate research output by increasing enrolment by 30% and improving completion rates to 70%. In addition, he called for improved staff efficiency to ensure more effective supervision, training, and mentorship, ultimately boosting overall research productivity and academic output.
Increasing Graduate Training
The Director of Graduate Training at Makerere University, Prof. Julius Kikooma reiterated the importance of expanding postgraduate education, in line with the University’s Strategic Plan, which targets raising graduate students to 40 percent of total enrolment.
Agriculture & Environment
MakCAES Develops Agroecology Curriculum to Drive Food Systems Transformation in East Africa
By Damali Mukhaye
Makerere University College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) is developing an agroecology curriculum to address mounting pressures on agri-food systems in sub-Saharan Africa, including poverty, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
Curriclum development is part of the requirements under the Regional Multi-Actor Research Network for Agroecology in East Africa (RMRN-EA) Project led by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, in collaboration with three African universities, including the University of Nairobi (UoN, Kenya), Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA, Tanzania), and Makerere University (MAK, Uganda).
CAES hosted a two-day Stakeholder Validation Workshop for the Agroecology Curriculum in East Africa at Protea Hotel between 5th and 6th May 2026. The workshop brought together researchers, scientists, policymakers, and educators from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania to critically review and validate a landmark baseline study on agroecology in Uganda.
At the heart of the workshop was a presentation by Dr. Kenneth Balikoowa, Programme Assistant on a comprehensive assessment of agroecological integration across 28 CAES curricula 14 undergraduate, 13 postgraduate, and one PhD programme, alongside other presentations delivered by regional experts and academics.
Dr. Balikoowa noted that agroecology, as defined by FAO through 10 elements and 13 principles, provides a proven pathway for smallholder farming transformation by applying ecological and social principles to food systems design.
He emphasised that higher education is central to scaling agroecology, as embedding it in curricula builds a critical mass of change agents equipped to drive Uganda’s agri-food transformation, with establishing a curricular baseline at CAES as the first step under RMRN-EA interventions.
Using a rigorous six-stage mixed-methods approach, the assessment carried out by CAES, scored each programme against FAO’s 13 agroecological principles and 8 agroecological elements, conducted contextual analysis of 11 key agroecology-related terms, and benchmarked findings against international standards, including FAO and High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) frameworks.
The findings revealed that while CAES has solid technical, practical, and scientific foundations, agroecological integration remains partial, fragmented, and mostly implicit across 26 of the 28 programmes reviewed.
Two standout programmes including the Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Extension and Rural Innovation (BARI) at undergraduate level, and the Master of Science in Agricultural and Community Development (MACD) at postgraduate level demonstrated that comprehensive agroecological integration is entirely achievable within CAES and should serve as design templates for broader curriculum redesign.
Among undergraduate programmes, BARI emerged as the top performer with an average score of 3.8, recognised for comprehensive participation and co-creation approaches, while BAGR, BEVS, and BHOR performed strongly, with solid soil health and biodiversity coverage. At postgraduate level, MACD led with an average score of 4.1, with agroecology woven centrally across its curriculum.
Across both levels, the assessment found that programmes consistently score higher on agroecological elements than on principles, indicating that operational concepts such as efficiency, diversity, and resilience are more readily absorbed than value-laden principles such as fairness, social values, and farmer participation.
Soil health emerged as the most integrated principle, present as a core component in nine programmes, while animal health, input reduction, and land and resource governance were the least integrated.
Critically, the assessment identified people-centred dimensions as the most consistently underrepresented areas across all programmes. Farmer agency, social equity, indigenous and traditional knowledge (ITK), and participatory methodologies,all central to FAO’s agroecological framework were largely absent.
Uganda’s rich indigenous agricultural knowledge was found to be almost entirely invisible in the curricula reviewed, representing both a significant gap and a major opportunity for culturally relevant curriculum development.
Going forward, the assessment recommends a foundational agroecology course common to all programmes as the single highest-impact, lowest-complexity action, deliverable within the next academic year. Full curriculum transformation is envisioned as a five-year commitment requiring sustained investment in faculty development, infrastructure, and community partnerships, but a phased roadmap makes it achievable.
Designing Curricula That Create Value
Assoc. Prof. Anthony Egeru, Principal Investigator, Makerere University (Uganda), underscored that the PhD programme in Agroecology goes beyond traditional notions of soil health and yield, placing sustainability at its very centre.
“The centrepiece is really sustainability. The conversation has now shifted from isolated discussions about soil or animal health to an integrated agroecological approach that ensures nature remains healthy while sustaining agricultural production and productivity,” Prof. Egeru said.
Prof. Egeru emphasised that productivity must be understood broadly encompassing income, animal health, circular economy, and value creation and directly linked to Uganda’s ambition of building a $500 billion economy (ten-fold).
He noted that Makerere is currently at stage three of the curriculum development process, with stakeholder validation now underway to refine and strengthen the programme. He anticipated that once the internal process of submitting the programme to the School, College, and the University Senate is complete, it will be submitted to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), with the first set of students expected between the 2027 and 2028 academic years.
Tanzania’s Experience
Prof. Japhet Kashaigili, Principal Investigator for Tanzania and Director of Postgraduate Studies at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), shared that Tanzania is ahead in the curriculum development journey.
According to him, Sokoine already runs a PhD programme in agroecology that has been active for seven years. He added that a newly developed Master’s programme has been submitted to the Tanzania Commission for Universities for accreditation, with enrolment expected in the next academic year. Programmes targeting extensionists and tertiary-level winter schools are also in the pipeline.
However, Prof. Kashaigili sounded a strong warning on job market absorption.
“We don’t see government hiring agroecology experts, or other institutions like big NGOs hiring agroecology experts,” he cautioned, calling it a critical gap that must be urgently addressed.
He called on governments across East Africa to actively buy into agroecology programmes and create deliberate employment pathways for trained graduates, warning that training without absorption is an investment without a return.
Kenya’s Journey
Prof. Richard Onwonga, Principal Investigator from the University of Nairobi and Professor in the Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology, noted that Kenya is making steady progress, with several universities, including Murang’a, Chuka, and the University of Nairobi, at advanced stages of developing agroecology programmes.
He noted that the University of Nairobi had completed desktop reviews, needs analysis, surveys, and stakeholder validation, and is now developing content for identified course units.
Prof. Onwonga argued that agroecology is fundamentally a return to farming systems that existed before the Green Revolution introduced chemicals that degraded soils, the environment, and human health.
He emphasised that training agroecology-equipped extension agents will be transformative for smallholder farmers across East Africa.
He also highlighted agroecology’s potential for youth employment through circular economy enterprises from composting crop residues to engaging at every node of agricultural value chains.
“These are money-minting enterprises that the youth can get involved in,” he said.
Resolutions from the Workshop
While giving the project overview on day one, Dr. Frank Chidawanyika, Principal Investigator of the RMRN-EA Project, noted that the key outcomes from the Agroecology Validation Workshop include the development of an agroecology curriculum, a regional curriculum framework, defined competencies, and an action plan for implementation.
He also indicated that the workshop was slated to evaluate the status of the curriculum and competencies for teaching agroecology in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, noting that the outputs would guide training, research, and policy engagement across East Africa.
At the end of the workshop, stakeholders agreed that the PhD in Agroecology and Agri-food Systems will be anchored in four thematic areas, including Science of Agroecology, Practice of Agroecology, Knowledge Co-creation and Management, and Social Movement.
Project Summary
Agri-food systems in Africa have long been plagued by a multitude of challenges, including poverty, social exclusion, food insecurity, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Agroecology offers sustainable pathways for transforming these agri-food systems using locally and context-specific solutions, following participatory approaches that foster co-creation of solutions.
Through funding from the EU DG-INTPA, the establishment and operationalisation of the Regional Multi-Actor Research Network for Agroecology in East Africa (RMRN-EA) Project strengthens the practice, education, knowledge generation, and data management of agroecology through a multi-pronged approach involving curricula development (universities), data management (NARES), bottom-up participatory living labs (multi-stakeholders), and an Agroecology Policy Working Group (APWG).
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