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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.
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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