General
Empower the Youth to take advantage of AfCFTA-H.E. Jallow-Tambajang
The Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC) Presidential Lecture Series (PLS) is an annual event that brings together prominent speakers, great leaders and thinkers to Makerere University to engage in thought-provoking conversations with stakeholders particularly students and the youth. Held from 6th to 8th June, the 2023 edition of the PLS was graced by Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, former Vice President of The Gambia. As such, Her Excellency held one-on-one discussions with Young Female Leaders at a Media Blitz Roundtable on 6th, steered a Cross-generational Fireside (Ekyooto) Conversation with Female University Student Leaders on 7th and crowned it all with a Keynote Address on 8th June on the theme “Celebrating Women, Pan-Africanism and Community”.
“Coming back to Uganda, Kampala, Entebbe makes me feel very proud and honoured and happy to see that Uganda is growing both in terms of economic and social development but also the friendliness, the fraternity that I have always known” H.E. Jallow-Tambajang cheerfully remarked as she commenced her address. Her joy was indeed tangible as she recalled with nostalgia the time she spent in Uganda as a newly-married sixteen (16) year old housewife, later returning as a UN Expert for Missions around 1993.
In the same breath, she paid tribute to her Ugandan “Father” Ambassador Matiya Lubega, with whom she worked for close to five years in The Gambia. Amb. Lubega served as Resident Representative and Co-coordinator of United Nations activities in The Gambia in the late 1980s and was commended by Her Excellency for being truly Pan-African in ensuring that UNDP programs were responsive to needs and realities of the Gambian people. In so doing, she noted, Amb. Lubega transcended the elitist attitude often exuded by international experts and used the opportunity to connect with and empower the people.
Empowerment, particularly of the youth, is important in the African context where only 5-10% of national resources are invested in their programmes. “What we need to do is knock at every door and see what opportunities are available” remarked H.E. Jallow-Tambajang. “The AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) provides billions of dollars for entrepreneurship; the African Development Bank also has a programme (The Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund) which is giving so much money to the African Youth” she added, addressing political and other leaders.
Her Excellency’s remark was premised on the need for Africa to invest in her youth in order to sustain the continent’s aspirations to put people at the centre of development programmes, as envisioned by the “unify and uplift” principle of Pan-Africanism. She explained that the Pan-African spirit is rooted in the African culture of solidarity, sharing, leaving the comfort zone, and opting to serve mankind, aspects that she said have slowly been erased.
“The talent Africa has is a talent that has been underutilized, when we have everything. What we need is a sense of justice, really including the Pan-African spirit; rather than sitting in our corners and saying ‘I’m Gambian, I’m Ugandan,’ we say we are Pan-Africans” she remarked.
Turning to the area of Women, H.E. Jallow-Tambajang outlined misconceptions about Islam and the older more experienced women not communicating enough as some of challenges experienced in the quest to economically and politically empower women.
“People who do not understand religion will say that Islam suppresses women whereas when you look at the Holy Quran, God has confined two verses to women… the other challenge we have had is the fact that the elderly women have not been communicating enough with the young people to impart knowledge and pass the baton to prepare them for leadership” she noted.
To address the latter, Her Excellency demonstrated her commitment to pass the baton of leadership to the younger generation by introducing her granddaughter, Ms. Ejatou Barry, a personal assistant in her philanthropic work. In the same breath, she recognized Ms. Charlene Ruto, a Youth Champion and Advocate for Climate Change Action for her work, despite sections of the public linking it to State funding by virtue of her being a daughter to Kenyan President H.E. William Ruto.
H.E. Jallow-Tambajang saluted President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for embodying the Pan-African spirit by waiving her requirement for a visa in order to attend the Lecture Series. She equally recognized Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga, Executive Director, JNLC for her role in ensuring that she made the trip to attend the PLS and pledged as a Senior Citizen, to establish twinning relationships between JNLC and institutions in The Gambia.
“When I go back, I will look at how I can influence to have more students come to Makerere University and vice-versa, I can try as much as possible to influence how Makerere University students can also go to other parts of Africa that I have visited, because that is the way we can develop the culture of Pan-Africanism, the culture of solidarity, and the culture of sharing knowledge” she added.
Her Excellency had some nuggets of wisdom to share with the youth too. “Young men usually think when they are educated and have their PhDs, they no longer need the elders” she observed, before emphasizing “this is the time you need elders. What the elders are going to give you in terms of wisdom, you cannot read from books… the elders have the experience; they have journeyed through life with little resources and are able to help you.”
She equally urged the youth to use social media as a tool to empower each other, reach out to peers in the Pan-African setting and learn from their good experiences. And whereas the Former Vice President respected the youth’s right to protest, she urged them to choose the path of dialogue instead. “Every time you go onto the streets, you are losing something. If you break infrastructure and want to become leaders, where will you find the resources to rebuild your countries?” she reasoned.
H.E. Jallow-Tambajang concluded by urging African political leaders, thinkers and policy makers to make the dream of a borderless Africa a reality so as to eliminate the barriers to free trade imposed on us by colonial boundaries. “Africa’s vision is shared prosperity and this can no longer hold without empowering the youth through entrepreneurship and different leadership fora they want.”
The Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara who graced the PLS thanked H.E. Jallow-Tambajang for making the trip to Makerere to deliver her keynote address. Quoting from Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s famous book “Women’s Freedom: Women are Eagles, Not Chickens” she reiterated the University leadership’s commitment to ensuring that the youth, particularly women that go through the gates of Makerere University will be empowered to straighten their wings and fly like the eagles that they truly are.
She noted that Makerere has consistently been an advocate of women’s emancipation, right from the 1945 admission of the first six females and the 1990 enactment of 1.5 extra points for all female students to the 2019 policy providing for a 40 percent enrollment quota for female students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and the 2021 policy doubling the number of awards under the Female Scholarship Initiative (FSI) from 20 to 40.
“All these milestones notwithstanding, it is of utmost importance that our students enjoy an environment that is conducive to academic excellence and free of any form of abuse… with support of our partners, we have revised our Policy and Regulations Against Sexual Harassment and empowered our Gender Mainstreaming Directorate to receive and investigate any allegations of sexual harassment levelled against our staff and students” she added.
Mrs. Magara congratulated the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre on their efforts to groom and equip our young leaders with the moral campus for leadership and a willingness to serve through various courses, which have even been used to induct Student Leaders of the 88th Guild.
Elaborating further on the JNLC’s role in empowering students, Executive Director Dr. Suzie Nansozi Muwanga said that Centre’s youth leadership training programme is aimed at addressing skills gaps among young leaders through short courses in Financial Literacy, self-awareness as well as mental health and wellbeing. “One of the products we are particularly proud of; a tailored leadership course, will be made available on the Makerere University E-Learning Environment (MUELE) platform and accessible to all students starting this academic year.”
She added that in H.E. Jallow-Tambajang, the JNLC had found the perfect candidate to deliver the 2023 PLS. “Her Excellency’s track record as a mediator, human rights defender, political activist, and effective advocate for women’s rights, in addition to being a champion of basic education, maternal care, healthcare and women in entrepreneurship is nothing short of remarkable. Furthermore, her ability to do all this while fulfilling her obligations as a mother paints an amazing picture for our young women and aspiring female university student leaders to emulate.”
PLS 2023 also featured a panel discussion moderated by Ms. Charlene Ruto, with the 89th Guild President H.E. Maseruka Robert, Vice President Uganda Management Institute (UMI) Guild Union, Ms. Akatukunda Maureen, and former Makerere Guild Minister and Lawyer, Ms. Kirabo Marion as panelists.
Delivering the closing remarks, Director General UMI, Dr. James Nkata clarified that Pan-Africanism is neither an agenda, nor an event, nor a political slogan but rather a supra philosophy that all other philosophies on the continent are supposed to fit within. He added that leaders are not made but grown through the process of socialization. “The social structures that bring up the human beings that live in those communities are the ones that grow the leaders.”
Consequently, Dr. Nkata clarified that Pan-Africanism cannot be promoted through legislative announcements but through societal socializations. He therefore urged JNLC to initiate research on how we can 1) re-socialize our societies to develop a new conscience of Pan-Africanism where everybody is accorded equal opportunity and 2) de-construct human constructs in Africa that demean women, “because it is through academia that knowledge is generated and value is created.”
The day would have been incomplete without a display of culture and creativity, and the Department of Performing Arts and Film was on hand to deliver a thrilling display of dance as well as an original composition by Dr. Milton Wabyona. To crown it all, the 89th Guild represented by President H.E. Maseruka Robert and Finance Minister Ms. Kiranda Sharifah presented a portrait by the School of Liberal and Performing Arts GRC, Mr. Ainamaani Brian to H.E. Jallow-Tambajang. PLS 2023 was moderated by the Acting Deputy Principal, School of Law, Dr. Zahara Nampewo and Principal Public Relations Officer, Ms. Ritah Namisango.
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged its newly admitted PhD students to go beyond pursuing academic qualifications and become independent scholars capable of generating knowledge, solving societal problems and contributing to Africa’s transformation.
The call was made by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, during the orientation of the 2026/2027 PhD cohort at Makerere University’s Main Hall in the Main Building on 10th August 2026.
Prof. Ssali told the new scholars that a PhD marks a fundamental shift from previous levels of education, requiring students to take greater responsibility for their academic progress rather than depending entirely on lecturers and supervisors.
“You will have to push yourself and also push your supervisor to move with you,” Prof. Ssali said, urging the students to take ownership of their doctoral journey.
She acknowledged that many PhD students have to balance their studies with employment, family responsibilities and community leadership, making doctoral training demanding. However, she urged them to remain focused on completing their programmes within the prescribed three, four or five years.
Prof. Ssali said Makerere expects its doctoral training to produce scholars who can create knowledge, challenge existing ideas and develop solutions to societal problems.
She encouraged the students to embrace ambiguity and become comfortable questioning what they already know, noting that doctoral education requires scholars to identify important questions, investigate them and generate answers that advance knowledge.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor also urged the students to develop interdisciplinary collaborations and scholarly networks rather than confining their research to their individual disciplines.
She said the success of doctoral education should not be measured merely by the number of dissertations completed or papers published, but by the extent to which research contributes to society.
With Africa facing complex challenges, including climate change, disease, population growth and development pressures, Prof. Ssali said PhD scholars have a responsibility to generate evidence that can influence policy, strengthen institutions and advance innovation.
She challenged each scholar to continually ask what problem their research addresses, what solution it advances and whether that solution can create sustainable value.
The Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, said the new cohort was joining Makerere at a time when the University is implementing reforms aimed at strengthening graduate education and improving completion rates.
Prof. Kikooma revealed that Makerere received close to 12,000 applications across its master’s, postgraduate and PhD programmes but admitted about 6,000 students.
He said graduate education has been placed at the centre of the University’s efforts to strengthen research capacity and prepare scholars to contribute to knowledge production and innovation.
Under the reforms, PhD students will undertake compulsory cross-cutting courses designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for doctoral research. They will also be required to undertake teaching in either their second or third year under the guidance of their supervisors.
In addition to completing their theses, students will be required to produce at least two publications before graduation, a requirement intended to prepare them to become the next generation of researchers, innovators, inventors and creators.
Makerere has also introduced a digital system to monitor the progress of every PhD student each semester. The system is intended to enable students, supervisors and university officials to identify challenges early and intervene in real time.
Prof. Kikooma urged the scholars to write regularly, think critically, maintain open and constructive relationships with their supervisors and protect their academic integrity and professional reputation.
He also encouraged them to build scholarly networks and remain resilient, noting that rejected papers, disappointing data and unexpected challenges are normal aspects of doctoral training.
The Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, Prof. Robert Wamala, challenged the scholars to ensure that the knowledge they produce is trustworthy, responsible and ethically sound.
Prof. Wamala emphasized the importance of respecting the dignity, rights, safety and autonomy of research participants, particularly where studies involve individuals, communities and personal information.
He highlighted informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, justice and accountability as critical principles of ethical research and urged students to maintain transparency throughout the research process, from developing research questions and collecting data to analyzing and reporting findings.
Prof. Wamala also cautioned the students on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research.
He said although AI can assist researchers with activities such as language improvement, it does not remove the researcher’s responsibility for the final product.
Researchers, he said, must verify AI-generated information and remain accountable for inaccurate statements, misleading interpretations and incorrect references.
He further urged students involved in international and other research collaborations to establish clear agreements on roles, authorship, data ownership, access and intellectual property before commencing their research.
The Deputy University Librarian, Dr. Kizito Ongaya, meanwhile, urged the new scholars to make full use of Makerere’s library and information resources throughout their doctoral journey.
Dr. Ongaya said the University operates a hybrid library system combining physical and electronic resources, with more than 200,000 books, 45 e-journal databases and over 16,000 archival materials available to researchers.
He encouraged the students to participate in library training to learn how to access and effectively use electronic resources and to explore specialized libraries and information centers across the University’s colleges.
These include resources covering natural sciences, agriculture, veterinary medicine, health sciences, education and humanities, as well as museums, botanical gardens, specialized collections and other research facilities.
The newly admitted doctoral students were also addressed by Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre, Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba, the Deputy University Bursar and members of Makerere University Convocation.
Makerere University has once again cemented its place as a regional leader in academic excellence after successfully hosting the East African Universities Debate Championships (EAUDC) 2026, welcoming the continent’s brightest young minds for a week of intellectual competition, cultural exchange, and leadership development.
Held from 26th July to 1st August 2026, the championship brought together more than 200 student debaters, adjudicators and delegates from 25 universities across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and other invited institutions, transforming the Ivory Tower into East Africa’s premier arena for ideas, innovation and public discourse.
The week-long tournament featured rigorous British Parliamentary debate rounds, public speaking competitions, adjudication workshops and networking sessions designed to sharpen critical thinking, leadership and persuasive communication. Participants debated contemporary issues ranging from governance and economic transformation to technology, public health, climate change and Africa’s future.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Vice Chancellor welcomed delegates to Makerere University, emphasizing the institution’s enduring commitment to nurturing graduates who are not only academically accomplished but also capable of leading meaningful conversations that shape society. The championship reflected Makerere’s vision of producing graduates who are innovative, analytical and prepared to address regional and global challenges.
Beyond competition, EAUDC 2026 became a celebration of East African unity. Delegates experienced Uganda’s rich cultural heritage through social events, campus tours and cultural showcases that fostered friendships beyond national borders. The interactions reinforced the championship’s belief that dialogue remains one of the strongest foundations for regional integration and peaceful cooperation.
The tournament concluded with an electrifying Grand Finale witnessed by students, alumni, university leaders, invited guests and debate enthusiasts. The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports Hon. Eng. Cuthbert Abigaba represented the Speaker of Parliament as the Guest of Honour. In his remarks he congratulated Makerere University on the successful event and encouraged debate among students.
Prof Sarah Ssali the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs at Makerere University pledged continuous support from the administration towards Makerere Debate Union. Teams demonstrated exceptional research, analytical reasoning and eloquence before a distinguished panel of international adjudicators, bringing to a close one of the most competitive editions of the championship.
The successful hosting of EAUDC 2026 marks another milestone in Makerere University‘s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for debating and public speaking. The event builds on the university’s long-standing tradition of producing outstanding debaters while providing students with opportunities to engage with peers from across the region in meaningful intellectual exchange.
As the championship drew to a close, participants departed Kampala with new friendships, stronger networks and renewed inspiration to continue using debate as a tool for leadership, democratic participation and social transformation.
With the East African chapter successfully concluded, attention now turns to the Pan-African Universities Debating Championship (PAUDC) 2026, where Makerere University will once again represent East Africa on the continental stage.
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