Business & Management
CoBAMS students showcase innovative projects to fight unemployment
Majority of the students flood the streets looking for jobs the moment they finish their studies at higher institutions of learning. However, the storyline might change after the introduction of hands on skills among the students currently undertaking their academic journey at Makerere University.
Innovators from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) in the recently concluded Youth and Innovation Expo 2023 showcased their projects from which they expect to eke a living to reduce the pressure of looking for what to do after leaving campus.
Ibrahim Mutyaba, one of the innovators who ventured into the Black Soldier Fly premix business hopes his business will sustain him after completing his studies.
“When I am done with this bachelors, I don’t think I will be looking for employment out there because this is already there for me. It is like a start-up and it is going to continue because it is enlarging every day. A customer comes today and brings more customers tomorrow. It is a very good business to venture in and yet it requires little capital, even at shs20,000 one can start it,” he said.
The Black soldier fly premixis a supplement to animal feeds and poultry birds and it contains proteins which enable the animals and birds to grow very fast.
He explained that the only challenge he is facing is space since the business is expanding and it needs more space to set up big structures for it.
Mutyaba said the initial stage of the project is getting eggs and the pallets. So the Queens lay the eggs in between the pallets which they collect and mix with decomposing materials.
“At the start of the project, I bought the eggs from Kawanda research centre and after that we never bought any eggs anymore, our life cycle kept on producing more eggs and production continued up to now,” he noted.
He added: “Every stage here is a business, someone will come looking for eggs and we will sell them in grams, and others may come and they want the larva stage or the pupa stage. You keep on earning money at any stage and the decomposed material after use is manure.”
Mutyaba further explains that the next step is sorting the maggots from the decomposing materials by sieving, which are then left to starve, put in a dryer or under the sun to dry until they get ready for packaging. He noted that the supplement can also be made into a powder form using grinders.
Mutyaba said that they have a structure at Kavumba village in Wakiso district where they base to supply the Black Soldier premix.
The innovator called upon farmers to come for training to learn how to make the black fly premix to save money.
Nkulikiyumukiza Jean D’amour, another innovator who deals in production of Meta coffee said he has flavored coffee and non-flavored coffee. “We have coffee that we mix with Mulondo, ginger and cinnamon and is packed in 20 and 70 grams to make affordable to everyone. The small tin goes for shs2000 and the big one is shs5,000.
He conceived the idea from the existing coffee locally made in Uganda. He realized the high quality coffee is exported abroad and it processed and brought back and sold at a very expensive price yet a few Ugandans can afford to purchase it. He came up to bridge that gap.
“The current challenge is finding market for the products due to competition with other people. “It is quite hard to move around convincing people to buy your new product because we are just penetrating into the market.” He added.
He deals with suppliers of coffee and those who dry flavors and add it in his coffee at a ratio of 1:10.
Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament while addressing the exhibition grand opening event on October 6, 2023 said parliament is going to institute the competition Bill, the Consumer Protection Bill, and the Copyright law to protect the students’ innovative ideas.
“We shall make sure that no one benefits from your innovations. Continue to be creative as you look forward to commercializing the products you have. As government we shall give you money,” he pledged.
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence has commenced a three-day refresher training for members of the Development Committee (DC) of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The training, which began today in Jinja, aims to enhance the analytical and technical skills of committee members who are tasked with reviewing government projects submitted by various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The training was today February 19, 2025, officially opened by Dr. Hennery Ssebukeera, who represented the Director of the Budget Directorate. In his opening remarks, Dr. Ssebukeera emphasized the importance of the refresher course in enabling the Development Committee to effectively conduct quality reviews and fulfill its mandate as a key gatekeeper of the Public Investment Plan. He noted that the training would improve the participants’ ability to appraise and implement public investments in line with the Public Investment Management System (PIMS) framework.
Speaking at the same event, Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, representing the Centre Director, Prof. Edward Bbaale, expressed the Centre’s gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to Uganda’s PIM cycle. He highlighted the importance of the training in harmonizing the relationship between the MDAs that draft project proposals and the analysts who review them. Prof. Okumu reiterated the Centre’s commitment to building the capacity of government officials in Public Investment Management, thereby supporting the country’s development aspirations.
The need for this training was identified during the Development Committee retreat held in 2024, which revealed limited capacity among DC members in project appraisal, specifically in reviewing prefeasibility and feasibility reports, Dr Ssebukeera noted. In response, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, in collaboration with the PIM Centre of Excellence, organized this refresher course to strengthen the participants’ technical and analytical skills.
DC is a statutory committee of government that evaluates the viability of public investment projects. Its statutory composition includes: Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, National Planning Authority, Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), Office of the Solicitor General, Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development, National Environment Management Authority, Equal Opportunities Commission, Ministry or Work and Transport, Ministry of Water and Environment, Public Private Partnership Unit. The PIM Center of Excellence was recently admitted to the Development Committee as a non-voting member.
The training will cover a wide range of topics, including the role of PIMS in the country’s development goals, the logical flow of project profiles, costing, and the interpretation of interconnections between prefeasibility/feasibility reports and financial models. Additionally, participants will explore the role of public-private partnerships in national development.
Dr. Ssebukeera encouraged participants to actively engage in discussions, share their expertise, and apply the knowledge gained from the training. He noted that this engagement would empower the Development Committee to effectively perform its role in reviewing and approving public investment projects, ensuring they align with national priorities and deliver value for money.
The Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence, established by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in partnership with Makerere University School of Economics, continues to play a pivotal role in building the capacity of MDAs in managing public investments. To date, the Centre has trained over 300 officers and produced several research papers, reflecting its commitment to enhancing public investment management in Uganda.
The training in Jinja is expected to enhance the participants’ capacity to effectively review government projects, thus supporting the effective implementation of Uganda’s Public Investment Plan.
Business & Management
Somali Officials Complete Executive Training in Infrastructure Asset Management at CoBAMS
Six Somali government officials have successfully completed a three-day Executive Training in Infrastructure Asset Management, held at Makerere University’s Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE). The training, funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), took place from January 27 to 29, 2025, and aimed to enhance regional capacity in infrastructure planning and management.
The training brought together senior civil servants and policymakers from Somalia, equipping them with practical knowledge and strategies for sustainable infrastructure asset management. It also fostered valuable cross-border collaboration, facilitated by UNCDF Uganda, which played a crucial role in connecting Makerere University with the Government of Somalia.
The program was delivered by experienced faculty from Makerere University’s College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), alongside experts from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). A special session was also led by the Makerere University Bursar, offering practical insights into financial management in infrastructure projects.
Speaking at the opening of the training, Mr. Ncube Mkhululi, the Regional Technical Advisor for UNCDF emphasized the importance of infrastructure asset management in driving sustainable economic growth. He highlighted UNCDF’s commitment to supporting capacity-building initiatives in developing economies, noting that effective infrastructure planning and management are critical to national development. He also expressed confidence in Makerere University’s expertise in delivering high-impact executive training programs for government officials.
During the closing ceremony, Prof. Bbaale Edward, the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences expressed gratitude to all partners, including UNCDF, Makerere University management, and the PIM CoE faculty, for their commitment to making the training a success. He emphasized Makerere University’s ongoing efforts to internationalize its research-led agenda, positioning itself as a hub for regional knowledge exchange.
UNCDF Program Manager, Mr. Joel Mundua, the commended the participants for their dedication and encouraged them to share the acquired knowledge with fellow officials in Somalia. This was reaffirmed by one of the participants, who pledged to apply and disseminate the learnings within their respective departments.
Mr. Sunday Denis Aliti, the Program Officer at UNCDF highlighted the importance of ensuring that infrastructure asset management strategies are practical, adaptable, and aligned with national development goals. He commended Makerere University for its leadership in knowledge transfer and regional training and encouraged continued collaboration between universities, governments, and international development partners to strengthen institutional capacity.
Dr. John Sseruyange, Manager of the PIM CoE, applauded both the participants and the expert trainers who contributed to the program. He reiterated the Centre’s commitment to advancing infrastructure asset management through continued training and collaboration with regional stakeholders.
As the training concluded, participants departed with valuable insights and practical tools to improve infrastructure management in Somalia and beyond. The success of this initiative highlights Makerere University’s role as a leading institution in public investment management, fostering capacity-building efforts that drive sustainable development across Africa.
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