General
Mak Council Chair Tips Guild House on True Leadership at ELP Orientation
By Ritah Namisango
Makerere University in partnership with LIFE Ministry Uganda and the Global Leadership Summit is implementing the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), the brainchild of the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni aimed at raising a dignified generation of youth in Uganda.
Addressing over 120 student leaders on the third day of the Emerging Leaders Program- orientation workshop on Saturday 21st October 2023, the Chairperson of Makerere University Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara applauded the Minister of Education and Sports for being a true mother committed to building a critical mass of young people and upcoming leaders grounded with values, good character, life skills and above all, a healthy generation that is free from HIV-AIDS.
The Chairperson of Makerere University Council informed the participants that on 2nd February 2023, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni inaugurated the University Council. At the inauguration, the Minister tasked the University Council to join her to implement a national Anti-Corruption and HIV/AIDS Campaign, starting with Makerere University.
Responding to this call, the University Council and Management engaged members of staff, student leaders and key stakeholders. The University Management carried out a survey and findings indicated that some of the students were already sexually active and needed help to know how to live a value based life, while others were grappling with drug abuse. In the survey, some of the respondents disclosed that they started using drugs before they joined the University due to peer pressure, stress and anxiety as well as exposure to such substances from some family members, slums and communities. During the engagements, some students revealed that they had knowledge of what constitutes good values, but in real life situations, they were facing challenges with sticking to the required values.
Personally touched by this deeper analysis of the underlying issues, the Minister of Education and Sports initiated the Emerging Leaders Program to equip and empower students with life skills, value based leadership and character development.
Mrs. Lorna Magara revealed that the Emerging Leaders program is a life skills program, aiming at fostering character mindset change at Makerere University, to influence the present and shape the future of our nation. She pointed out that the trainings would also entail a planned and deliberate effort to ensure that the youth take every step to remain healthy and free from HIV/AIDS as they pursue their studies at Makerere University.
“The Emerging Leaders Program is an empowerment initiative that focuses on values, character development and life skills. You may have the academic degree, but you need the right set of values and character to succeed in life,” said the Chairperson of Makerere University Council.
Mrs. Magara stated that the orientation workshop (19th to 21st October 2023) was organized to give participants exposure to the program content with the aim of enlisting them as active participants during its course of implementation. She commended the 125 student leaders, 60 lecturers as well as the Facilitators for accepting to be part of the program, and creating time to participate in the three-day orientation workshop. The workshop enabled participants to understand the objectives of the Emerging Leaders Program, learn and appreciate the key concepts, as well as set the pace for the unveiling of the Emerging Leaders Program and trainings that will commence next Semester.
On behalf of the students, the Guild Speaker, Rt. Hon. Babinga Gozan Wilson said that the Emerging Leaders Program was timely for it seeks to address the challenges faced by students and young people in general. The Guild Speaker noted that some of the students at the University are sexually active and engaging in relationships, which puts them at the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. He added that some of the students were grappling with the issue of managing finances and how to overcome corrupt tendencies in a highly commercialized world advanced by competitive lifestyles espoused through social media.
In an interactive session with the Student Leaders on Saturday 21st October 2023, Mrs. Lorna Magara who has served as a leader at different levels in society shared with students the true meaning of leadership. She demystified the adage that some people are leaders while others are followers. She disclosed that such a narrative leads to slavery. She informed the student leaders that each and every one of us is a leader who has been gifted to lead and serve people in politics, church, family, community, in the lecture room, among other settings.
“Leadership is about discovering who you are. Leadership is about uniqueness and service. Leadership is about identifying your uniqueness, and the ability to use that uniqueness to serve society. Leadership is self-manifestation. You must value yourself. If you do not value yourself, no one will value you,” Mrs. Magara highlighted.
Acknowledging the role of social media, Mrs. Magara advised the student leaders to use social media to serve society, and cautioned them against the temptation of using social media to define who they are.
“Many of you receive so much information through social media. There is a growing trend of everyone desiring to be like some of the personalities presented to you by social media. When you start to imitate people, and convince yourself that you should be like them in all ways, then you begin to lose the true definition of who you are. Discover the uniqueness in you, use that uniqueness to be a leader who serves society,” she advised.
Underscoring the need to redefine leadership, Bishop Joshua Lwere, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Global Leadership Summit informed participants and journalists that leadership had reached a level where people take on roles not because they love the people, or want to serve, but for self glory.
“We notice that our leadership has degenerated so much, to the extent that people go into leadership not because they want to serve, or to carry the weight of people’s needs, but to use these positions to get personal enrichment,” he stated.
Bishop Lwere reiterated that leadership is not about occupying positions, but servanthood. He explained that the Emerging Leaders Program starting with Makerere University provides a platform to nurture young leaders to acquire leadership skills so that we can get a new breed of skilled leaders.
At the end of the session on character matters and valuing relationships, Bishop Lwere requested the student leaders who after going through the three days’ training were convinced that they were ready to change their lives by leaving the bad practices and adopting to the accepted standards.
“May I request those who are ready to commit to the new set of values, those who are saying, I will never defile my body again, those who are ready to stand strong like Joseph in the bible who refused to defy his God and Master when tempted by his Master’s wife, to raise up their hands, and after stand up. I would like to pray for you and bless you,” he said.
It was gratifying to see majority of the student leaders raising up their hands, and taking that bold step to commit to changing their life’s trajectory.
One of the Facilitators, Mr. Elon Katweheyo explained that the Family is the best unit to consider in values and character development. He shared that young people and students are part of the family. “At LIFE Ministry Uganda, we believe that we must focus on the young people. We are privileged to start this program at Makerere University-the premier University in Uganda, and the place full of young people and upcoming leaders. Through the Emerging Leaders Program, LIFE Ministry Uganda will apply its Life at the Crossroads character development tool to build and nurture morally upright youth,” remarked Mr. Katweheyo.
Rolling Out the Emerging Leaders Program
Following a successful orientation workshop, the Chairperson of Makerere University Council highlighted that the Emerging Leaders Program training sessions would commence early next year (2024). The team will identify teaching staff and Trainer of Trainers to be part of be part of the cohort to roll out the Emerging Leaders Program. She revealed that during the Semester, the First Lady and Hon. Minister of Education, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni will launch The SAFE Campaign under the Emerging Leaders Program. TheSAFE Campaign stands for Sexually Fortified, Addiction Free, Financially Stable and Education Focus. The University Management and teaching staff will roll out the program to the respective Colleges and Schools, and it is planned that every semester should have 20 units of training. After building a significant number of Trainers of Trainers, the Emerging Leaders Program will be rolled out to other universities in Uganda.
Emerging Leaders Program Orientation
The three-day orientation officially commenced on Thursday 19th October 2023 with a joint workshop of a select number of staff and all our student leaders. Delivering the opening remarks, the Team Leader, Global Leadership Summit Uganda, Ms. Betty Byanyima noted that the workshop was aimed at sharing ideas and discussing different aspects of the challenges of corruption and HIV/AIDS. The beneficiaries would then be charged with influencing their Halls of Residence, Schools, Hostels, Families and Communities because the aforementioned challenges go beyond Makerere.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) and Chair of the Emerging Leaders Program, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe acknowledged that Universities have got a big role to play in influencing change in societies. He encouraged the leaders to look beyond the dates of the workshop and feel free to draft dossiers on how best these challenges can be tackled, in the event that the time assigned is insufficient to comprehensively debate the various topics.
The Board Chairman of the Global Leadership Summit Uganda, Bishop Joshua Lwere who served as lead facilitator for Day One of the workshop not only provided great insights into self-governance but also matched it with a great delivery that kept his audience engaged. Furthermore, he noted that holistic education ought to address the 4Hs (Heart, Head, Hands and House) and emphasised the need for all to revere God, adding that the more one loves God, the more they loves oneself.
Describing it as the policeman within, Bishop Lwere asked his audience to protect their conscience and it will protect you them in times of crucial decisions. Failure to do this, he cautioned the leaders, would result in its voice growing softer until it eventually goes silent. “When you compromise on your way up – getting there by hook or crook – you cannot challenge the wrong you find up there. You have the hook in you.”
Bishop Lwere further noted that leaders who espouse self-sacrifice and moral aptitude inspire those they lead to do likewise. He emphasised the need for leaders to set a high level of discipline for themselves and to live by conviction, not convenience. As you continue to live by conviction, it becomes part of your character;
Additional topics covered during the three-day workshop included; Mindset Change by the School of Psychology Makerere University, Character Matters and Sex in Perspective by the LIFE Ministry Uganda’s Dr. Eunice Kateshumbwa and Dr. Audrey Kisaka respectively. Additional topics covered were Grace, Truth and Time, Relationships and Life Skills.
The 89th Guild was on their part commended for their smartness and good grasp when it came to articulating issues. This commendation could not have been more accurate, seeing as it came from The Acting Dean of Students, Mr. Peter Rivan Muhereza. He reminded the Student Leaders that Makerere is a hill of endless possibilities and that the ball was in their court, to lay a solid foundation for their future.
General
Makerere University Leaders Call for Excellence in Research and Supervision as Academic Staff and PhD Students Receive Certificates
By Moses Lutaaya
Kampala, 15 December 2025 — Makerere University on Monday held a reflective and inspiring Certificate Award Ceremony at the CTF 2 Auditorium , Yusuf Lule to award academic staff who completed the Graduate Supervision and Mentorship Course and PhD Students who successfully undertook the University’s compulsory cross-cutting doctoral courses. The event was presided over by the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali.
The ceremony honored the efforts and achievements of 58 academic staff members, 39 men and 19 women from various colleges including CEDAT, CAES, CEES, COVAB and COBAMS, who completed a rigorous three-week Graduate Supervision and Mentorship programme.
Additionally, PhD students were recognized for completing cross-cutting courses in Philosophy of Methods, Scholarly Writing and Communication, and Advanced Research Methods.
In her keynote remarks, Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor–Academic Affairs, delivered a message of encouragement and renewed commitment to research excellence at Makerere University.
“It is both an honor and a privilege to be here today to celebrate a significant academic milestone, the completion of the PhD Cross-Cutting Courses by our students and the award of Supervision Certificates to our academic staff.”
“Your completion of this course is not just a personal achievement, but a critical contribution to strengthening the research and mentoring capacity of Makerere University.”
To the PhD students, Prof. Ssali offered warm congratulations and encouragement. “These courses have equipped you with essential tools to conduct high-quality, ethical research and to engage with complex academic questions. This achievement reflects your hard work, intellectual growth, and commitment to excellence.”
She reaffirmed Makerere University’s commitment to research advancement. “As a University, we remain deeply committed to fostering a culture of research excellence. We will continue to invest in both our students and our staff, ensuring that we uphold the highest standards in research and academic supervision.”
The Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, challenged the PhD students to approach research with urgency, intentionality, and a clear sense of purpose.
“Completing the crosscutting courses in Philosophy of Methods, Advanced Research Methods, and Scholarly Writing and Communication has not been an easy task. However, the certificate alone is not the end goal. Don’t simply compile these certificates. Make them meaningful.”
Prof. Kikooma emphasized that the value of the courses lies in applying the knowledge gained. “These certificates give you the foundation knowledge. The question now is: Can we see the application of that knowledge in your different fields?”
He further urged doctoral students to begin producing serious academic work now, not at the end of their studies. “If you are becoming someone to be listened to, start now. It means the course is becoming useful. Write about issues that speak to societal challenges. Produce thinking pieces. Produce better outputs. “Look for low-lying fruits that can make your PhD journey more exciting and impactful.”
Prof. Kikooma also reminded students that while the PhD journey is shared by the academic community, its weight is uniquely felt by the candidates. “Your PhD journey is ours as a group. But you feel the heat. Speak to us so we understand your challenges. “You cannot be here for more than three years. Why are some of you still here? Is the journey heavy? How can we support you to complete it?” He asked.
He encouraged students to build thought leadership through the PhD Forum, adding that the forum is a strong voice for the students. A PhD is automatic leadership in the knowledge domain. Why doesn’t the PhD Forum come up with periodic writings that reflect what communities are experiencing? Start now so that by the time you finish the course, you hit the ground running.”
The Ag. Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning Support (CTLS), Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa Kyagaba, gave a message to the academic staff who completed the Graduate Supervision and Mentorship Course, speaking with admiration for their dedication and high level of engagement.
“I congratulate all the academic staff who have completed the three-week Graduate Supervision and Mentorship Course. Your commitment, hard work, and enthusiasm have been evident throughout the training.”
She described the course as a cornerstone of Makerere’s commitment to strengthening graduate supervision. “This course is a key component in Makerere University’s drive to strengthen the quality of graduate training, research supervision, innovation, and strategic partnerships.”
She highlighted the thematic richness of the training; covering Knowledge Production Perspectives, Supervisory styles, Supervisory meetings and conversation skills, Research Ethics, Intercultural supervision and diversity, Scholarly writing and feedback as well as Examination processes and Doctoral Viva. She expressed gratitude to the Directorate of Graduate Training led by Prof. Kikooma, and to Prof. Ssali for providing leadership that advances graduate training across Makerere University.
General
Makerere University Hosts EU Delegation to Review Institutional Engagement in EU Cooperation Programmes
Makerere University today hosted a delegation of members from the European Union (EU) for a high-level engagement aimed at reviewing the University’s involvement in EU cooperation programmes. The meeting focused on the linkages between the Erasmus+ Programme, Makerere University’s internationalization strategy, and the related institutional management and coordination structures.
The delegation was received by Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Professor Sarah Ssali, provided an overview of how EU cooperation programmes are coordinated across different offices within the University. She highlighted Makerere’s integrated institutional approach to managing EU-funded initiatives, emphasizing collaboration among academic units, administrative offices, and support departments to ensure effective implementation and sustainability of projects.
Prof. Sylivia Antonia Nakimera Nanyonga-Tamusuza presented an overview of how grants are handled at Makerere University, with particular emphasis on the role of the Grants Management and Support (GAMSU) Office. She explained that the office provides end-to-end support for externally funded projects, including proposal development, grant negotiation, compliance, financial accountability, reporting, and capacity building for project teams. The GAMSU Office plays a critical role in ensuring transparency, efficiency, and compliance with donor requirements, including those of the European Union.
The University Secretary, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, addressed the meeting and outlined how the University’s resources are managed to support academic programmes and international cooperation initiatives. He further explained the role of the Office of the University Secretary in supporting students, including policy oversight, governance, student welfare, administrative coordination, and ensuring that institutional systems effectively support teaching, research, and international partnerships.
Ms. Betty Nabisubi from the International Relations Office (IRO) provided a comprehensive overview of how Erasmus+ programmes are coordinated within her office. She explained that the IRO supports Erasmus students and staff from the time they arrive at Makerere University until their departure. This includes orientation, immigration support, accommodation guidance, academic coordination, cultural integration, and continuous student support. She also highlighted additional services offered by the office, such as partnership development, mobility coordination, and facilitation of international collaborations.
Following the institutional presentations, project representatives were allocated 30 minutes for structured discussions with EU project contact persons. The session began with short presentations focusing on project results, impact, and sustainability, followed by an interactive discussion and question-and-answer session. The representatives presented their projects clearly and confidently, demonstrating strong outcomes and long-term impact aligned with both Makerere University and EU cooperation objectives.
Overall, the engagement was highly productive and fruitful, providing a valuable platform for knowledge sharing, reflection on best practices, and strengthening collaboration between Makerere University and the European Union. The discussions reaffirmed Makerere University’s commitment to effective internationalization, accountable project management, and sustained partnerships under EU cooperation programmes.
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