General
Graduate Freshers Called to Create Knowledge and Impact Society
Makerere University Graduate freshers for the academic year 2023/2024 have been described as the architects of knowledge production, the pioneers of innovation, and the catalysts of progress.
The Director, Directorate of Graduate Research and Training (DGRT) Prof. Edward Bbaale gave the aforementioned description while delivering his welcome message during the Graduate Freshers induction held on 6th September 2023 in the Yusuf Lule Auditorium. The meeting attracted over 700 students physically and another over 380 participants online.
The orientation organized by the DGRT under the theme, “In Pursuit of a prosperous Future: Positioning Makerere Graduate Students to lead societal transformation” was attended and addressed by university officials from the Senate, Department of Academic Registrar, Directorate for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Support-DICTS, Colleges, Counselling and Guidance Centre, and the Institute of Open, Distance and E-learning (IoDEL), who all reiterated the call to generate knowledge for societal transformation.
Welcoming the students to Makerere, Professor Bbaale said, the university has set its sights on a bold vision: to become a research-led and innovation-driven university, with graduate training at the very core.
“We hold in high regard the role of graduate students as the architects of knowledge production, the pioneers of innovation, and the catalysts of progress. It is your passion, your dedication, and your thirst for discovery that will shape the future of our university and contribute to the betterment of society as a whole,” the Director asserted.
With the University having celebrated a century of existence and outstanding service to humanity, Bbaale expressed optimism for boundless opportunities that lay ahead of the students.
“Makerere University stands as a light of academic excellence, not only within our region but also on the global stage. You, our newly admitted graduate students, should feel a profound sense of pride to be joining an institution of Makerere‘s caliber. Your admission reflects not only your own remarkable accomplishments but also the enduring reputation of this venerable institution”, he stated.
Prof. Bbaale expressed the University’s commitment and readiness to support and provide students with the tools and resources required to transform challenges into opportunities adding that, the University believes in nurturing critical thinkers and problem solvers.
“Within our hallowed halls, you will find an assembly of expert faculty members, distinguished in a multitude of fields, eager to guide and mentor you in your academic journey. Their guidance will be an invaluable compass, steering you towards academic excellence and groundbreaking research”, the Director added.
In addition to being a firm advocate of interdisciplinary education and research, and recognizing that some of the most transformative discoveries emerge at the crossroads of disciplines, Bbaale stated that Makerere University embraces collaborations, internationalization, mutually beneficial partnerships, and a global perspective.
Further, Bbaale affirmed that the university’s state-of-the-art facilities, including well-equipped laboratories will serve as the crucibles of their intellectual exploration and experimentation.
“But our commitment extends beyond the classroom. Makerere University offers a rich array of academic programs and extra-curricular offerings that promise to enrich your experience and nurture holistic development. Our campus is a tapestry woven with the dedication of our committed academic and support staff, individuals who will make your time at Makerere University unforgettable.
“To you, our new graduate students, I offer this advice: seize every opportunity, embrace every challenge, and tap into the professional assistance and support that our university provides. Your journey will undoubtedly be marked by achievements, discoveries, and contributions that will leave an indelible mark on our institution and the world at large” the Director encouraged.
Prof. Bbaale concluded by remarking that the graduate students’ journey of incredible achievements had just began, and expressed hope to witness the remarkable impact students will make at Makerere – a University, where their seeds of success had found fertile ground.
University Commits Next 10 years to be a Decade of Graduate Students in transforming society
Delivering remarks on policies and guidelines governing graduate training, the Deputy Director in charge of Administration and Graduate Training Assoc. Prof. Julius Kikooma expressed the commitment of the university towards supporting graduate students.
Assoc. Prof. Kikooma described DGRT as prefects in this question of graduate training, adding that the Directorate coordinates the implementation of the guidelines, the policies and the regulations needed to be followed through the programs by the students as well as the academic staff and the units.
Congratulating students upon their successful admission to Makerere, Prof. Kikooma told students that they have come at a time when the university has fully and totally committed to improving graduate training.
The 2023 Graduate students according to Kikooma come at a time when the university has just completed its centennial celebrations, and is reflecting on how its teaching, research, and knowledge transfer partnerships are impacting communities.
“One of the core issues that the university has committed to is making this a decade of graduate students, meaning that you are going to be at the center of focus of what we do in terms of teaching, research, and engaging with the wider public and immediate communities. And, we the academic staff have to work together with you, the students, in that commitment”, Kikooma stated.
He said that the theme for the induction was deliberately considered not just as an orientation to teach students to go around the campus but as an occasion meant to ensure that students and the entire university management are on the same page as a partners in the transformative journey.
Kikooma emphasised that the DGRT was inducting students into what it means to be part of transforming society, but with teachers charged with a responsibility of passing on knowledge, skills and wisdom to graduates who must undertake a bigger responsibility.
“We are saying that, we need you to appreciate that the university has committed the next 10 years, to produce a certain type of graduate student that is sensitive and is alive to what is needed to change this society.
We’ve done a lot in the last 100 years as an institution to produce people that have done what they could to take Uganda to where it is now, but, the next seed of students must be sensitive and be able to appreciate that it’s not enough for us to focus on coming here for knowledge.
It is about understanding the problems and how you can use and translate the knowledge that you are getting here into solutions for the immediate society and the immediate community that we actually live in. Uganda is still not as resourced as others in terms of wealth, and as such, we are the only hope of the society and communities where we come from,” Kikooma advised.
Three essential documents for students to guide and keep track in their academic journey
Kikoma outlined three important documents that graduate students need to pay attention to in order to move seamlessly through their academic journey.
These include the Makerere University Student Guild Statutes, which has guidelines and policies that address student support issues and how graduate students can be part of the student governance in the university. Section seven, outlines eleven organs of the student guild and other organs on postgraduate student union, as channels through which graduate students will be part of discussions that engage policy areas, at the Senate, Council and College levels.
The second document is the Makerere University Student Guild Constitution. The Student Guild Constitution contains the Guild Student Provisions and the Postgraduate Student Union requiring that graduate students become integrated and feel part and parcel of the student guild activities as part of the student voice of Makerere University.
And lastly, the Graduate Student Handbook (2013), currently under review, that will help students to keep on track of policies and regulations on: student registration, study plans, cross cutting courses, examination regulations and general regulations. Other sections of the handbook cover teaching and learning, examination malpractices and how to appeal, including ethical issues, conflict of interest when given a supervisor, and graduation guidelines.
As prefects, Kikooma pledged to work with students through the structure that exists so that they spend only that time that they are contracted to be here at Makerere University.
The Principal Registrar DRGT, Ms. Prossie Nakayiki reemphasized that registration is key and urged students to take careful note of their application credentials, and visit the admission office in case of any enquiries.
Nakayiki advised students to visit the respective school registrars with original transcripts for verification and registration, adding that the subsequent registration for continuing students will be done online.
“Make sure you create a personal file where you keep all your correspondences. You are not a student unless you are registered. Registration is done within the first six weeks of the semester”, she said.
Nakayiki guided students on matters of deferment, withdrawal from the program, refund of tuition fees and general challenges faced by graduate students as well as sexual harassment as a real vice.
The 21st Century skills for Students to be professional, analytical and change agents of society
Addressing students on , “Positioning Makerere University Graduate students to lead societal transformation and development” Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, a Professor of medicine, public health, and also Dean School of Public Health expressed the need for students to go beyond technical skills and acquire social, leadership, values and other competencies in order to be relevant and impactful to society.
Prof. Wanyenze noted that although the university provides knowledge and skills, graduate students ought to grow themselves to acquire other competencies beyond the classroom and work towards impacting others.
“Because you’ve got the skills, you’ve got the competencies, and you’ve got the vision and purpose to create a difference for others, you always have work, because there are always problems to solve.
“But you can’t give what you don’t have. So you’ve got to grow yourself in terms of knowledge, professionalism because we want you to change the world. There are too many problems in the world. You can make the world easier for others, and when you do, you will never lack work” she advised.
Prof. Wayenze emphasized that no matter their place of work, titles or ranks, so long as they are working with communities, students have to learn to communicate, lead, and do things differently.
“Whether you are representing your classroom, whether you’re in research, in academia, you’re leading research teams, many people get money and they can’t even implement because they don’t know how to lead and manage teams. So we need to grow our leadership capabilities.
“We need to grow our creativity. Think, think different. Do something different. Don’t just take things the way they are because that’s what they’ve always been. You are not going to change the world when you come and continue what everybody has done.
“These days the world is global. You’re going to work with people across different countries, cultures and races. You’re going to work with younger people and older people. We need to learn to work across the divide. How will you work with the world when you can’t even work across a tribe in your country? You need to learn to work with people that are different from you. Ideas come not from the people that are like you. New ideas come from the people that think different from you, that have a different experience from yours,” the Dean advised.
Prof. Wanyeze underscored the importance of acquiring Social competencies in leading and transforming the world, working with communities and understanding their experience and their knowledge to make them better.
She called on students to be creative and find ways of picking up and exposing themselves to other social competencies required such as advocacy and lobbying, which are key to explaining data or evidence for policy makers, as well as writing and analytical skills, and innovation, which are important in many areas such as managing projects.
Wanyenze implored students to do their best and ensure they finish within the program time, use knowledge and skills acquired to look for opportunities where they can lead, show people a direction, mentor and support one another.
Where there are debates, the Dean advised students to participate, as they help improve one’s skills in communicating and getting their points across. She also advised students on the need to get involved in networks, partnerships and research with their colleges.
“Life is about identifying what you want and going for it. Don’t be that person that feels like the world is against you all the time because you didn’t get what you wanted. The world doesn’t know what you want. Know what you want and go for it. Be proactive and seek opportunities.
“And people say, they hire you for qualifications, they fire you for those skills we call soft. Embrace technology. This is a world of technology. Grow your networks and learn at least one foreign language” remarked Prof. Wanyenze.
Graduate studies to take the blended learning, or open distance and e-learning as a mode of delivery
Presenting on online learning, Director of the Institute of Open, Distance and E-learning (IoDEL), Prof. Paul Muyinda Birevu decried the fact the graduate student of the 21st Century is faced with challenges of balancing work and meeting family needs while studying and, at the same time, the requirement to participate in different political, social and religious activities as they study.
Sensitising students on the new approach to teaching and learning, Prof. Muyinda said Makerere University set up IoDEL to nurture the growth of blended learning.
Muyinda implored students to acquire the necessary skills and be prepared for the university electronic learning environment and virtual classrooms that will supplement face-to-face teaching.
“That means that there will be a lot of online learning activities that you’ll be taking, and therefore you will need some skills on how to study online. Many people who study online actually fail to study because they lack the skills of studying online.
“Makerere University not only has physical classrooms as you see them here, but also the virtual classrooms, which are hosted on Makerere University Electronic Learning Environment (MUELE),” he said.
Prof. Muyinda explained that traditional face-to-face delivery mode which is teacher-centered assumes that the instructor as knowledgeable person to pump knowledge into students heads.
He advised that with the changing world and especially at graduate level, the university emphasises approaches to teaching and learning that induce generation of knowledge, even from students to professors as well.
“Makerere University has been offering distance education since 1991. We have been having distance education programs, where students stay wherever they are and learn.
“Many of the accountants that you have in Uganda, many of the education professionals, many of these people have trained us through the distance education mode. So we don’t have to disturb them in their workplaces”. He added
Prof. Muyinda shared that distance education has gone through a number of generations from the days when instructor used to send the materials to students to read from wherever they are. With the coming of technology, he affirmed that the university lecturers can send the materials to students and interact with them through technology as was the case during the CoVID-19 lockdown.
“There will be a lot of technology infusion. Your lecturers, because they have had a dose of blended learning and a dose of online learning during CoVID-19, and because there is a lot of campaign by Makerere University to integrate technology-mediated teaching and learning, you’ll find that most of your lecturers are going to be using online learning, where they will work with you on the e-learning management system (MUELE) or using the synchronous system like Zoom”, he explained.
Prof. Muyinda told students that the lecturers are developing online materials and hence the need for them to be able to quickly enroll themselves and get to the Learning Management System, saying all units have support champions to assist them gain access to online resources.
To venture into online learning, Prof. Muyinda implored students to acquire ICT skills, be self-driven, ready to share work with others, interact in small groups, and have good communication skills.
“You need to be self-directed at graduate level because no one is going to be forcing you to do anything, the reasons why some students fail to complete in time. We need self-directed learners, learners who can manage their own time. And online learning requires such learners. If you are not self-directed, online learning will be very difficult for you to complete. So you must be self-motivated” He cautioned.
Apart from minimizing costs, Prof. Muyinda highlighted a number of benefits accruing from online learning including enabling student-centered teaching and learning, co-creation of knowledge, and availability of course materials at no cost (e.g. photocopying) at any time.
Presenting on ACMIS and benefits of ICT to a graduate student, the End User Support Administrator DICTS, Mr. Yunus Musisi advised students to get Makerere University email addresses as gate passes to access systems. He cautioned students to be careful with sharing their personal information online because it can be accessed by cyber-criminals.
Mental health key to successful Graduate studies
Presenting on services available at the Counselling and Guidance Centre, the Director of Counseling and Guidance, Dr. Henry Nsubuga said the university established the unit to take care of psychological and emotional issues affecting staff and students.
“You can’t be physically healthy if you are not psychologically or mentally healthy. Actually, mental health takes precedence.” Dr. Nsubuga said.
Dr. Nsubuga highlighted; a wounded past, those coming from countries affected by war and have been traumatized, and a host of other factors as causes that would require students to seek counseling services.
Additionally, he advised that students who could have had a difficult childhood might need support on grounds that some of the suffering adults currently face results from unresolved childhood issues. This, he added, affects their self-confidence and esteem levels.
“It is very important that we receive services to deal with some of the issues that could be coming from the past because we are growth oriented. As human beings, we want to improve every other day. It doesn’t matter whether you are a professor or student, at some point you may be lagging in something”, He counselled.
Nsubuga justified the need for a supportive system on the basis that no human is immune from problems and emergencies that could arise from relationships, family, losing a job rigorous graduate training, lack of resources, or even loss of a dear one.
The Library, An essential resource to a graduate student
The University Librarian, Assoc. Prof. Ruth Nalumaga introduced students to library services, and sections notably; the Africana section, special collection and archives section the legal repository, and the research commons for graduate students.
Dr. Nalumaga introduced the ICT training lab, document delivery services and databases that can be ordered or downloaded among services offered.
She added that the library conducts e-resources training to help students understand how to get the best and relevant data. In addition, the library, she said, trains students how to reference their work properly using accepted formats including information on ethics and problems arising like respect for intellectual property rights.
“You must attribute the source of your information so as not to fall in the trap of plagiarism. Avoid unauthorized access to databases and do not violate, misuse or share passwords. Photocopying a whole document is a violation of copyright because the maximum allowed is three chapters”, the Librarian cautioned.
The Graduate journey is interesting with highs and lows says, Graduate student
Speaking on the journey of postgraduate studies at Makerere University, the Chairperson Graduate Students Union Douglas Bulafu congratulated students upon their successful admission to Makerere University. He described the journey as worthwhile.
“The journey as a student at Makerere University is worth it and full of highs and lows. The journey is very interesting, but also lonely sometimes, for example for the PhD student, you reach an extent and you feel you’re in your own world.
“But with the support system that has been spoken about, I believe you will make it as a postgraduate student. Masters students are always close to each other. I really know that. So yours is not as much as lonely a journey as the PhD students’.
“The journey at Makerere University is all about self-drive. No one is going to push you to go to class. No one is going to tell you to do coursework. No one is going to tell you to go and sit for an examination. But it is up to you as a student. To know that it is your responsibility to attend class and do coursework” Bulafu said.
He pointed out some of the challenges faced by graduate students including financial challenges and how to strike a balance between work, studies and family.
He informed students of the university leadership structures that take on graduate students, from DRGT, the Dean of Students, Colleges, Schools and Departments, and at the classroom level with class coordinators.
The roles of the Union, Bulafu said, include linking students to the administration, representing students on a College Academic Boards and at the Guild level, urging them not to leave student leadership to only undergraduates.
The Union, he said, also collaborates with other entities in the University such as the Counseling and Guidance Center, Makerere Innovation Hub and organizes graduate student assemblies.
General
Makerere University Hosts Ambassador Judyth Nsababera for Strategic Dialogue Advancing Uganda–China Engagement
Makerere University, in a Top Management meeting chaired by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Acting Vice Chancellor, hosted an important engagement with Uganda’s Consul General to China, Amb. Judyth Nsababera. The meeting brought together university leaders, innovators, students, and heads of departments and Units. Discussions centred on innovation, commercialisation, branding, and international collaboration, particularly with China, while also showcasing Makerere’s growing role as a national and continental engine for research, entrepreneurship, and transformative ideas.
This dialogue came at a symbolic moment as Makerere recently concluded its centenary celebrations, positioning the institution not just as a historical leader in higher education but as a forward-looking university ready to shape Africa’s place in global knowledge, trade, and innovation ecosystems.
Showcasing Innovation and Student Enterprise
The engagement highlighted the work of the University Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which champions student-led innovations, particularly from the Makerere Coffee Club. The Coffee Club, a student-led innovation focused on value addition to coffee, served their products during the top management meeting, demonstrating how academic training is being translated into real, market-ready solutions.
Prof. Sarah Ssali emphasized the importance of ensuring that innovation does not remain confined to laboratories or “junk” backrooms, but progresses into structured systems that support commercialization, intellectual property (IP) protection, and market penetration.
The presence of officers from the University Intellectual Property Office reinforced the need for stronger collaboration to safeguard student innovations and maximize their economic potential.
The university’s investment in barista training and coffee branding was cited as a model of practical, inclusive innovation, with training open not only to students but also to wider communities. This was further strengthened by the role of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), which donated a professional coffee machine to support student training and practical exposure within the Makerere Coffee Club, reinforcing the importance of national institutions in strengthening the coffee value chain.
The meeting highlighted the establishment of a Coffee Museum at the University, led by the School of Food Science, Nutrition and Bioengineering. The Museum will be the first of its kind in Uganda. Amb. Judyth Nsababero highlighted the fact that it would serve as an intellectual, cultural, and societal tool for preserving and elevating Uganda’s coffee heritage on the world stage. Beyond preservation, the museum was framed as a strategic branding platform that would connect Uganda’s coffee narrative to global audiences and align it with China’s fast-growing coffee consumption culture, positioning it as both a knowledge centre and a symbol of national identity.
Education, Language, and Capacity Building
The strategic engagement also underscored the need to strengthen the Chinese language teaching capacity at Makerere University.
Strong emphasis was placed on Chinese language acquisition as a tool for trade, diplomacy, and innovation. Prof. Mugaga Muwanga stressed that while Uganda remains focused on local languages, there is an urgent need to empower lecturers to become Chinese-trained educationists who can cascade this knowledge across the education system. Strong emphasis was placed on Chinese language acquisition as a tool for trade, diplomacy, and innovation. Prof. Mugaga Muwanga, Principal, CEES, Makerere University, underscored this need, stating:
“The language Chinese is becoming key in world trade. As educationists, we are still focused on teaching Ugandan languages. We need to be empowered to train Chinese-trained educationists. This value chain has to start with capacity building of the lecturers, who will teach the future teachers to roll out the language across various levels of education.”
His remarks reinforced the urgency of investing in structured capacity building for lecturers as the foundation for sustainable introduction of Chinese language education across Uganda’s learning system.
The Ambassador committed to supporting scholarships and training opportunities for staff and academicians, particularly at CEES, to build capacity in Chinese language and culture. This initiative will equip beneficiaries with the skills needed to teach Chinese and strengthen meaningful international engagement in key fields such as law, medicine, business, and technology.
Dr. Zahara Nampewo highlighted growing interest by Chinese students in studying law at Makerere University, opening opportunities for reciprocal exchange and joint legal training. The Ambassador also proposed training Ugandan lawyers to better understand the Chinese legal system to strengthen negotiation and international business competence.
Broader Strategic Partnerships
Ambassador Judyth Nsababera highlighted several strategic partnership opportunities aimed at strengthening Makerere University’s global engagement and innovation capacity. These include collaboration with UNDP, which is already supporting commercialisation, skilling, and capacity building, including benchmarking Ugandan enterprises with Chinese packaging companies to enhance product competitiveness and scale production.
She also referenced Yunnan University (China’s coffee province) as a critical academic partner, citing its pioneering coffee degree programme, integrated innovation model, and student-led branding system as a benchmark Makerere could learn from and engage with in developing its own coffee ecosystem and museum.
Additionally, the Ambassador pointed to Koti Coffee (China’s fastest-growing coffee chain) as a potential industry partner, noting its rapid expansion and influence in the global coffee market as an entry point for promoting Ugandan coffee and strengthening market linkages. She further encouraged exploration of collaboration with corporate entities such as Huawei, particularly in areas of student mobility, technological advancement, and academia-industry integration.
Together, these proposed partnerships represent strategic avenues for academic exchange, innovation transfer, market access, and international positioning, laying the groundwork for sustainable and mutually beneficial engagement between Makerere University and global institutions.
Strategic Engagement as a Pathway to Sustainable Partnerships
The engagement between Makerere University and Ambassador Judyth Nsababera marked a defining moment in advancing strategic dialogue and relationship-building as a foundation for future Uganda–China academic and innovation cooperation. It reinforced the need for structured branding systems, scalable production, commercialisation pathways, language capacity building, and strong university-industry linkages.
As Makerere continues to evolve as a national engine of innovation, research, and thought leadership, this visit provided a clear roadmap for how the institution can assert its rightful place within China’s expanding academic, technological, and economic ecosystem, transforming Uganda’s heritage, creativity, and intellectual capital into global influence.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Alumni and Partnerships Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.
General
Makerere Students share experiences, connections and inspiration at inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference in Turkey
On 16 November 2025, six students from Makerere University travelled to Turkey to join 69 peers from other prestigious universities for the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference on Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity. The two-day conference was organised by the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities, in collaboration with paNhari and Sabancı University, and supported by the Mastercard Foundation.
During the Conference, held between 17 and 18 November, students participated in a variety of activities, including panel discussions, presentations, and the drafting of the For Youth, By Youth Movement Charter and the Talloires Declaration, the first of its kind to be drafted entirely by students. For many of the students, this experience was the beginning of their journey of global impact and a rare platform to openly share their experiences, ideas and aspirations.
Student reflections after the conference
Naomi Ayebale, a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology student at Makerere University, who took part in the panel discussion “Struggles for Justice and Peace in Our World,” shared: “Attending this event felt like stepping into a space where every voice truly mattered. It was a reminder that no single, beautifully crafted story can ever capture what all our stories hold when woven together. Everyone came with their own truth, their own lens, and their own hope, and somehow it all fit.
“Being part of this movement fills me with a sense of joy, not just because of the cause itself, but because I get to stand alongside people who are not only demanding change but actively working to build it,” she said. “It’s energizing, but it also comes with a deep sense of responsibility. For me, being part of the For Youth, By Youth movement isn’t about how long I’ve lived; it’s about the experiences I carry and the problems I’ve witnessed firsthand. Those experiences have taught me not only what needs to change, but also how meaningful that change can be.”
Tyobo Harriet Yake, a final-year student at Makerere University pursuing a BSc in Biomedical Engineering and one of the inaugural cohort participants of the For Youth, By Youth movement, remarked: “For me, it was amazing and exciting to meet young people from different countries who share similar beliefs and ambitions,’ she said. “Conversations like these created a safe space where victims of injustice could share their stories openly. It inspired me to return to my community and continue doing whatever I can, however small, to make life better for those facing similar circumstances.
“I felt a strong sense of unity, and the words of the famous song ‘Different colors, one people’ truly came to life. I loved trying foods I couldn’t even pronounce but absolutely enjoyed. It was a full package of rich experiences in just a few days” she added.
“As I move forward, I’m reminded of John F. Kennedy’s quote ‘leadership and learning are inseparable.’ A leader learns through listening to the loud and silent voices of the community. It’s this conscious leadership that sparks transformation and fuels collective growth. This is the leadership I embrace in this journey” Harriet concluded.
Sandrah Naikambo, a third-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Information Systems and Technology, shared her reflections:
“From my experience at the conference and the movement in general, I learned that change isn’t just spoken about—it’s built. I witnessed young people who weren’t waiting for permission but using their own lived experiences to create real solutions. In that space, every voice mattered and every story had room to breathe. I walked away feeling seen, inspired, and connected with a purpose bigger than myself. This experience showed me that the youth are not the future, they are the present!”
Namwase Rinah Marion, a final year student at Makerere University pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration, and a former Guild Minister for Students with Disabilities in the 89th Guild remarked:
“It was exciting to meet young leaders from across the world who had ambitions towards change in their respective communities and universities,” she said. “The international conference did not only expose me to fellow determined leaders but also inspired me to push hard for success as I got to know there is nothing without us. We are the leaders of tomorrow, and the program entrusted us; so, we are the change makers of today and tomorrow. Young leaders for a better world.”
The For Youth, By Youth movement was born from the vision of 36 Next Generation Leaders from 18 countries, including Makerere’s Harunah Damba and Patrovas Okidi, who, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, worked together to stitch the threads that would later give rise to the movement. They organized local community and campus events, engaging directly with young people, communities, and universities to identify the issues that mattered most to them.
In recognition of the university’s support and as a gesture to strengthen ties with university leadership, Harunah and Patrovas presented a plaque to Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, honouring Makerere University’s support for the Next Generation Leaders Program in December 2023.
Reflecting on their experience, Harunah, now a Makerere University alumnus, said: “It was such an honour for me to be part of the inaugural For Youth, By Youth conference. Seeing the fruits of our hard work finally come to life is something that sits very close to my heart. I can’t think of any work that would be more rewarding, more encouraging, or more inspiring than this.”
Patrovas, a Master of Science in Bioinformatics student at Makerere University, said: “The For Youth, By Youth movement is a testament of what young people can do when organised, from its birth to the very first international conference, it has been led by youth and for the youth who are guided by values of respect, humility, kindness, impact, solidarity, hope, levity, collaboration, and inclusivity. The conference echoed one clear message I would love to pass on to everyone out there, our movement is a values-based civic infrastructure of engaged universities and a nimble network of virtual spaces. To solve multiple intersecting crises, education must evolve into regenerative, living systems rooted in community. Universities should represent all members of society, and be able to speak truth to power, and to centre empathy as the heart of learning and belonging. Youth must be co-creators in solving global challenges, while universities steward safe spaces for critical discourse and shared learning.”
He added “Echoing the voice of Lorlene Hoyt and others: For Youth, By Youth… it’s not a program — it’s a movement. Look out 2045, we’re just getting started. – this is our sense of belonging.”
General
In Honor of the Life and Legacy of Mr. Francis Seletze Ngabirano-A Steady Hand through the Storms
When the history of public health training in Uganda is told — honestly, fully, and with the respect it deserves, the name Francis Seletze Ngabirano must stand at the center of that story. For 32 years, he was one of the most consistent figures at Makerere’s Department of Preventive Medicine, now the Institute (and later, School) of Public Health. Through leadership transitions, political upheavals, and moments when the institution teetered on collapse, he carried with him a quiet, steady force, one that helped keep the wheels turning and the vision alive.
Thirteen years after Makerere University was established, a boy was born in the rolling hills of Kigezi on 18 November 1935. His parents named him Francis Seletze Ngabirano. At that time, no one could have imagined that this young boy would one day dedicate his life to Uganda’s premier and oldest university. Guided by his parents’ commitment to discipline and service, Francis began school in 1945 at the age of ten. He completed his primary education in 1950 before proceeding to secondary school from 1951 to 1956.
By the late 1950s, long before the Makerere University Institute of Public Health was conceived, he was already doing the work that would define his life, administration in health settings. From Kilembe Mines Hospital, where he managed medical records and supervised clerical staff from 1957 to 1960, to the Ross Institute of Tropical Hygiene (East Africa Branch) from 1961 to 1963, where he served as Technical Assistant to the Principal Officer and helped set up regional health research operations across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia, his career was expanding beyond borders. Even as a young man, he had already become someone institutions could trust.
During this same period, he also served as Assistant Chief Health Educator with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), then a fast-growing regional health organization headquartered in Nairobi. His work took him directly into communities, organizing health education courses in schools and villages, gathering and analysing sickness data from local industries, and supervising the support staff who kept these outreach operations running. It was practical, people-focused work that demanded both empathy and discipline, qualities he carried throughout his career.
He strengthened his skills through further training in health education and public health administration at Kenyatta National Hospital, at the Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School in Israel, and later at the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. These experiences gave him both global exposure and a strong command of public health systems, qualifications few Ugandans had at the time.
So, when he joined Makerere on 1 November 1968 as an Epidemiology Office Assistant, a role created specifically to accommodate his expertise, he arrived not as a beginner, but as a professional already shaped by years of responsibility.
As recorded in handwritten notes by Professor Suleiman Jabir Farsey on May 13, 1974:
“Mr. Ngabirano joined the Department in November 1968, and was appointed ‘Epidemiology Office Assistant.’ The records available in the Department indicate that Mr. Ngabirano was recruited for administrative duties, but because there was no provision in the establishment for such a post at the time, the post of Public Health Nursing Instructor was altered to one of Epidemiology Office Assistant,” wrote Professor Farsey, then Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine (1968–1975).
Becoming the Institutional Backbone
The early Institute of Public Health (IPH) was a small but ambitious unit within the Faculty of Medicine. It was led by Prof. Jabir Farsey as a Department of Preventive Medicine and supported by pioneering Ugandans such as Dr. Josephine Namboze, Dr. V. L. Ongom, Mr. S. K. Lwanga, Dr. M. L. Kakande, and Dr. B. Baitera. Behind this frontline of academics was a steady force, administrators like Mr. Ngabirano, making sure that teaching, research, and community outreach worked without disruption.
It is worth noting that Mr. Ngabirano witnessed the birth and transformation of the Department of Preventive Medicine into the first Institute of Public Health in Sub-Saharan Africa on 1 July 1975. The Institute was still under the Faculty of Medicine, then headed by Professor Joseph Lutwama, with Professor Jabir Farsey as its first head. Ngabirano also saw the construction of the four-story building that now houses MakSPH, completed in January 1971, along with the installation of furniture and essential facilities.
From his personal account, the idea of establishing an Institute had been conceived as early as 1967. However, the rise of Idi Amin delayed these plans and triggered the departure of remaining expatriates, including Dr. George Saxton, an American who had directed Kasangati Health Centre and taught in an honorary capacity in the Department of Preventive Medicine. Dr. Saxton, after a brief visit to Europe, returned with an aid package secured from the governments of Denmark and Norway, the funding that ultimately made the current MakSPH building possible. Saxton understood that creating an Institute required space, as staff and students had been cramped in the Clinical Research Building.
All these years, Ngabirano managed everything: financial records, planning epidemiological field tours, supervising personnel, coordinating WHO projects, handling stores and vehicles, and doing so with a thoroughness colleagues would later describe as his trademark.
Over the years, five heads of the Institute came and went: Prof. Jabir Farsey (1968-1975), Prof. Capt. Dr. Virginio Lachora Ongom (1975-1979), Prof. Josephine Namboze (1979-1988), Prof. John Tuhe Kakitahi (1988-1991), and Prof. Gilbert Bukenya (1991-1994), later replaced by Prof. Frederick Wabwire-Mangen (1995-2003). Directors changed, structures shifted, crises erupted… but Ngabirano remained.
His desk was where continuity lived.
A Witness and Chronicler of Turbulent Decades
Many people who lived through Uganda’s chaotic 1970s chose silence. But Mr. Ngabirano documented. His unpublished 1995 manuscript, The Institute of Public Health Through Idi Amin’s Rule, is one of the most significant historical accounts of Makerere’s public health training during a time when institutional memory was at risk of disappearing.
His writing describes:
The early Amin years saw a mass departure of academic staff. Prof. Farsey resigned in 1975, and Prof. Ongom died suddenly in 1979. Tragic losses of colleagues, Dr. Baitera, Dr. Kakande, and Mr. Asaba, further strained morale. Low salaries and dwindling staff eventually led to the discontinuation of the Diploma in Public Health in 1988.
These were not just institutional events; they shaped people’s lives. They tested loyalty, purpose, and endurance. Through all this, the Institute survived because of administrators who refused to let the vision fade. Few stood more firmly in that resolve than Mr. Ngabirano.
The Administrator Who Kept People First
His influence is most vividly remembered in the 1990s with the introduction of the two-year Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree Full-time Programme based on the concept of a Public Health Schools Without Walls (PHSWOW).
With support from the Rockefeller Foundation, this innovative model took training into district health systems; Rakai, Hoima, Fort Portal, Arua, Karamoja, Mukono, immersing students in real public health challenges. Administration for such a programme required: diplomacy, logistical mastery, pastoral care, financial stewardship, and calm leadership across diverse teams. Mr. Ngabirano excelled in every one.
Prof. Fred Wabwire-Mangen, then Director of IPH, remembers him as:
“A focused and organised administrator… the typical administrator of the olden days. He documented every detail clearly and ensured medical student fieldwork ran smoothly.”
Prof. Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye, who joined when Ngabirano was already a pillar of the Institute, offers this reflection:
“He served the School diligently. The administrator was the engine of the Institute. Directors often travelled, but he ensured day-to-day affairs continued uninterrupted. He sustained this place when salaries were meagre and conditions extremely difficult.”
To young staff, he was not just a supervisor; he was guidance, stability, and care.
In 1993, a new graduate student, Professor Christopher Garimoi Orach, joined Makerere, encouraged by Prof. Gilbert Bukenya to pursue the Master of Medicine in Public Health (MMED PH). That programme would later evolve into the modern two-year MPH. One of the first people he encountered was Mr. Ngabirano.
Prof. Orach remembers him vividly and eulogises him:
“Francis Ngabirano worked with great dedication, commitment, and distinction at the Institute of Public Health. He was passionate about his work as an Administrator, humorous, smart, and ever-present. He interacted easily with faculty and students, always supportive. Rest thee well, Francis. You rendered your service admirably, with great love, passion, and honor. Rest now with the Creator, the giver and taker, in tranquility, in a place well prepared for you eternally.”
These words reflect the admiration of countless others whose paths he helped establish. To others, Ngabirano was a fatherly guide to future leaders. When Dr. Lynn Atuyambe arrived at the Institute in 1994, he was not yet the senior academic we know today but just a young researcher seeking footing.
He found in Ngabirano a mentor who understood people, not only processes.
“He participated in student welfare, was very kind and approachable. He allocated field vehicles, ensured our welfare, organised workshops, and kept strong links with our training centres. He had an art of storytelling with clarity and great detail, I will miss that.”
Dr. Atuyambe particularly remembers a life-changing personal moment:
“The first laptop in my life, he delivered it to me in the field and showed me how to use it. It was 1996. He was friendly and fatherly. May his soul rest in peace.”
These are not merely memories; they are bridges between generations. They tell the truth: the foundations of public health capacity building in Uganda were built not only by professors publishing papers but also by administrators who made classrooms, vehicles, housing, and field learning possible.
During the “MPH at 25” celebration on Oct. 16, 2019, he received a certificate from Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe recognizing his role in shaping 25 years of MPH training at Makerere University, an honour that followed his earlier Long Service Award from the University Council in 1995.
In 2024, Makerere University School of Public Health marked 70 years of existence. For almost half that history, 32 years, the institution was shaped, steadied, and propelled forward by Mr. Francis Ngabirano’s resolve.
Ngabirano’s legacy is woven into the School’s Story. He lived the mission before it became slogans; taking health training to communities, nurturing the next generation of public health leaders, staying when others left, building systems where none existed, documenting history so no one would forget. He is the man who didn’t seek applause. But his contribution is visible in every graduate who navigated the Schools without walls programme, in every field team he deployed safely, in every archived record that tells us where we started and how far we have come.
His retirement in the late 1990s closed an amazing chapter, yet he left behind structures still functioning, and people still carrying his values forward.
In institutions, some people shine in celebration. Others shine in crisis. Mr. Ngabirano shone in both and in his demise, the School of Public Health revere him as a gentleman who kept the School alive when it was hardest to stay.
He stood for diligence when resources were scarce, for continuity when the institution trembled, for service not as a role, but as a calling. We remember him not simply for what he did, but for who we became because he was here. He was the history-keeper, the stabiliser and the quiet guardian of a mission that outlived the hardest years.
And today, as we honor him, we also honor the courage it took to stay when leaving was easier.
To his family, his wife, Jane Ngabirano, and the children, Nina, Victoria, Justus, and Kenneth, thank you for sharing him with us. To his colleagues, thank you for walking the journey with him. To the generations he supported, your success is part of his legacy.
Mr. Francis Seletze Ngabirano’s life reminds us that greatness is not always loud. Sometimes, it is found in punctual footsteps, a carefully kept file, a well-organised field trip, a story told at just the right moment, and the choice, every morning, to keep serving.
May he rest in peace, knowing that his work mattered.
And may the institution he helped carry forward always carry his name in its story.
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