Computing & IS
Mak IP Office Visits CoCIS; Rallies Researchers to Register & Commercialise Innovations
Makerere University Intellectual Property (IP) Management Office has urged researchers to register their IP and commercialise their innovations.
The Office Manager Canon Goddy Muhumuza and Administrator Peter Eneru were on Friday 20th October, 2023 meeting staff and researchers in the College of Computing and Information Sciences. The blended meeting held physically and online attracted over 20 researchers and was moderated by the Deputy Principal, Dr. Peter Nabende.
Muhumuza explained that protection and exploitation of research, research outputs and innovations are increasingly becoming important activities for universities all over the world.
Makerere University according to Muhumuza established the Intellectual Property Management Office (IPMO) on 15th July 2020 to identify and protect intellectual property within Makerere University.
“Intellectual Property protection is critical to fostering innovation. Without the protection of ideas, researchers and individuals would not reap the full benefits of their inventions and would focus less on research and development. Inventors, designers, developers, students, staff and authors can protect the ideas.” The manager explained
Currently, the Makerere University Intellectual Property Management Office is visiting colleges with the aim of sensitizing and guiding researchers, staff and students on Intellectual Property including the identification of the IP, the registration and protection of the IP and how to benefit from IP in future.
“I am here for sensitisation on IP management and registration. Many researchers come up with many innovations which when not registered become useless. Books and innovations gone on shelves are gathering dust yet, if they are registered by Makerere University, researchers would benefit from them because Makerere University has an intensive policy of commercialising those projects”, Mr. Muhumuza said.
Benefits of IP and Ownership at Makerere University
Intellectual Property (IP) according to Canon Goddy Muhumuza, refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works; designs and symbols, names and images used in commerce. Intellectual Property rights grant the owner of the work exclusive rights to exploit and benefit from his or her work.
The manager explained that IP provides an incentive to the innovators to be able to benefit from the result of their endeavour. The legal protection of innovations encourages the commitment of additional resources for further innovation. In addition, the promotion and protection of IP spurs economic growth, creates jobs and enhances the quality and enjoyment of life.
Muhumuza highlighted that under the Intellectual Property Rights, the inventor can get copyright, patents, designs and, trademarks and trade secrets protection to shield an invention or creation from being duplicated or copied by another individual or business.
The manager highlighted that the creator or originator of the idea, work, or novel invention is presumed to own the IP to their creation. However, if the work was created as part of a work-made-for-hire agreement, or in an employer-employee agreement, a student, the IP belongs to the university.
Once an asset is registered, Muhumuza said, all parties agree on which pathway and benefits to be shared.
“According to the Intellectual Property Management Policy, innovators are getting 80% which is almost all and the university gets 20%, of this, 10% goes back to the innovators department, 5% to management and 5% goes to graduate school. So the university is encouraging as many innovations as possible”, Muhumuza stressed.
Process simplified, Mak Innovation Hub to support commercialisation
The manager said, what the researcher, student or any other individual needs is to declare the IP at the Intellectual Property Management office, and wait for the certificate to be delivered.
“The process is that once you get your IP, you come to the Intellectual Property Management Office, in Yusuf Lule building room 3.2 and you bring your innovation both physical and in writing. And you leave it with us. We submit to URSB, we pay submission, search and certificate fees, and for you, you will be notified that you have got the certificate. You do not need anything to pay. The university pays everything”. The manager asserted.
Muhumuza added that since its inception, the office has managed to register, protect and receive 20 certificates for various IP while 13 IPs have been filled but pending approval by URSB in 2023.
He said Makerere University Innovation hub was established on 1st August 2022 under the Vice Chancellor’s office to provide support mechanisms for commercialisation of innovations for sustainable industrialisation with several projects being implemented.
The objectives of the Innovation hub according to Muhumuza are; to create awareness and disseminate information on innovation, develop tailored demand driven programmes, mobilise resources to nature and support innovation; develop, commercialise and scale up innovations for industrialisation and, strengthen and coordinate the innovation ecosystem through partnerships and linkages.
Up to 2.7 bn grant from Mak-RIF earmarked for scaling and commercialising innovations
The manager told participants that up to 2.7bn shilling will fund innovation projects that have progressed beyond the proof of concept stage and are at the stage of transition to wide scale application or commercialisation.
To be eligible for funding, Muhumuza said, the innovation should be ready to transition to scale and where the Principal innovator is an academic or research staff of Makerere University on permanent or full time contract or senior staff member of the administrative unit linked to research.
Accessibility to the grant involves an online competitive application, project check for eligibility and completeness, pitch to Intellectual Property Management and receiving funds supported by the Mak Hub.
Mak IP Policy
The Makerere University IP policy as per section 3.2.3 provides guidelines for ownership, registration, patenting, commercialisation and disclosure.
The Manager explained that researchers shall seek the assistance of the IP unit in applying for registration of copyright, patents, designs or trademarks under the relevant laws or when trying to commercialise the innovation.
Any discovery or invention resulting from research carried or under the direction of any employee of the university, supported by the university or results arising from an employees’ duties with the university or has been developed in whole or part of this in the use of the university resources or facilities not available to the general public shall belong to the university.
Also, any IP created by a university employee having an honorary appointment at any other institution during that appointment shall lie with the employer who pays the salary of that employer.
Further, Honorary researchers who are not employed by the university are generally required to transfer any IP they create in the course of their honorary activities to the university subject to terms and conditions of their honorary appointment. Sharing proceeds from such IP shall follow university established guidelines.
While closing the meeting, the Deputy Principal CoCIS, Dr. Peter Nabende thanked Mr. Muhumuza for the presentation saying, it touched a number of aspects relating to IP.
“It is an exciting presentation that has raised awareness on what staff should know. It is encouraging and motivating to know that the innovator gets 80%. I thank the IP Office for being effective and managing to come here to present”, Dr. Nabende appreciated.
He encouraged college staff to take on the IP issue seriously imploring the IP office to provide another opportunity to sensitise students on the same matter.
For please click on the link below for the meeting proceedings
Passcode: 8s#qLz$D
Computing & IS
Prof. Engineer Bainomugisha Takes Over as Principal of CoCIS, Pledges Focus on Excellence, Research and Innovation
Prof. Engineer Bainomugisha has officially assumed office as Principal of Makerere University’s College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS), pledging to work with staff, students and university management to strengthen academic excellence, research, innovation and the welfare of the college community.
Bainomugisha formally took over the leadership of the college during a handover ceremony held on the afternoon of September 10, 2026, in the Block A Conference Room, Level 4. He succeeds Prof. Tonny Oyana, while the immediate handover was conducted by Dr. Peter Nabende, who had served as Acting Principal for about one month.
The ceremony was moderated by CoCIS Principal Human Resource Officer Julius Lebo and attended by a representative from the Office of the Makerere University Chief Internal Auditor, heads of departments, deans, administrative and support staff, as well as student representatives.
Bainomugisha said he was honoured and privileged to serve as Principal, thanking the University Council, University Management, Senate and the Search Committee for entrusting him with the leadership of the college.
He said his appointment followed a competitive selection process involving the Search Committee, Senate, the Appointments Board and ultimately the University Council.
“I would like to thank the University Council, the University Management, Senate, and the Search Committee for giving me the opportunity to serve as a College Principal,” Bainomugisha said.
He also expressed appreciation to Vice-Chancellor and other university officials for accommodating his participation in the selection process, including allowing him to make his Senate presentation online while he was travelling.
Four priorities for CoCIS
In outlining his vision, Bainomugisha said he wants CoCIS to build a strong reputation around four key areas.
First, he said the college should be recognised for producing graduates who demonstrate excellence, with teaching and learning aligned to Makerere University’s strategic plan.
Second, he said CoCIS should become globally recognised for undertaking impactful research.
Third, he identified innovation and technology transfer as another priority, stressing the need for innovations developed at the university to move beyond academic settings and create wider societal impact.
Finally, he pledged to promote a conducive working and learning environment for both staff and students, underpinned by teamwork.
“I would like to see a College that is known to produce graduates who are really excellent,” he said. “I would like to see a College that is globally recognised to undertake impactful research. And I would like to see a College that is also known for innovations and technology transfer.”
He added that the college should also be “a conducive work environment for staff and students, as well as teamwork.”
Bainomugisha called for collective responsibility in achieving the priorities, saying the Principal’s office would work with academic and administrative units, students, University Management, Council and other stakeholders.
He acknowledged that the college faces several challenges, but said these would have to be tackled progressively.
“There are many challenges that the outgoing principal has outlined, and I believe that we can work together to address some of those challenges,” he said. “Obviously, we’ll address one challenge at a time. We cannot promise that we’ll address all of them on day one.”
Nabende hands over college with staffing and programme challenges highlighted
In his handover report, Dr. Peter Nabende provided an overview of the college’s academic programmes, staffing situation, research and innovation activities, budget, committees, grants and other administrative matters.
Nabende said he had sought to build on the handover report prepared by the former Principal, Prof. Tony Oyana, while incorporating developments from his one-month period as Acting Principal.
He said his report was structured around the responsibilities assigned to him, including implementing university policies and regulations, overseeing academic programmes, promoting research and innovation, coordinating the college budget, managing units and committees, mobilising resources and research grants, and providing progress reports to university management.
Nabende said no legal cases had arisen during his brief tenure, noting that he had sought to operate within university policy and regulatory frameworks.
He also provided an overview of CoCIS academic programmes, noting that accreditation and curriculum review remain important issues for the college as the university moves toward competence-based education and training.
According to Nabende, a number of programmes remain active and accredited, while others are under review or being proposed. He noted that the college must prepare for the implementation of the competence-based education and training framework, which institutions are expected to comply with by 2027/2028.
“This is a critical item that will concern the college for the coming one year,” he said, urging the college to strategise to meet the requirements.
Staffing shortage raises concern
One of the major challenges highlighted in the handover was staffing.
Nabende said the college is operating a growing number of academic programmes while facing limited staffing capacity. He warned that increasing student enrolment, combined with staff shortages, could put pressure on the quality and effective delivery of academic programmes.
He also raised concern about the increasing attrition of staff, saying several employees had recently left the university, including some who had recently obtained PhDs.
“We have increasing attrition rate. We have a number of colleagues who are leaving,” he said, describing the trend as concerning because the college can find itself replacing staff at roughly the same rate as those leaving.
He said the university and college leadership need to find ways of addressing the staff exodus.
Nabende also reported that Jinja Campus remains severely understaffed and said the college continues to support some of its programmes through staffing arrangements involving CoCIS departments.
He further pointed to administrative staffing gaps, saying the workload generated by the college’s growing numbers of programmes and activities affects productivity, output, quality and responsiveness.
Research and innovation on the rise
Nabende said CoCIS has experienced increasing research activity and output in recent years and urged the college to build on that growth.
He cited a number of research and innovation initiatives, including the Ocular project, AIRCOR and work involving natural-language technologies, speech recognition, artificial intelligence applications in mental health, agriculture, livestock health and education.
He said the college’s innovations had also attracted recognition from government officials, citing a recent visit by the Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Innovation.
The college currently has 24 external research projects, according to the handover presentation, alongside seed grant initiatives supporting staff and students.
The seed grant programme has supported 56 staff projects and 48 student projects, with the projects continuing.
Nabende encouraged the college to continue nurturing such initiatives so that smaller research projects can develop into larger programmes with greater impact.
Budget and financial position
The handover report also outlined the college’s budget position for the first quarter.
Nabende said approximately Shs461.5 million had been released for the quarter and that roughly one-third had been utilised at the time of the handover.
He noted that most budget-related processes are now managed electronically, allowing administrators to monitor requests, expenditure and other financial information through the university system.
The incoming Principal was therefore handed responsibility for continuing implementation of the approved budget while working with relevant administrative offices.
Graduation and academic administration
Nabende said the College Academic Board had considered and recommended results for the 2025/2026 academic year, placing CoCIS in a good position ahead of the forthcoming graduation.
He, however, called for attention to student complaints and graduate examination processes to ensure that more students are cleared for graduation.
He also outlined the work of various college committees, including the Establishments and Appointments Committee, Finance Committee, College Academic Board, Quality Assurance Committee, Appeals and Academic Policies Committee and Contracts Committee.
Despite leaving the Principal’s office, Nabende said he would remain available to support the new Principal in his capacity as Deputy Principal and academic staff member.
He thanked the university leadership, fellow principals, deans, heads of departments, academic and administrative staff and students for supporting him during his brief tenure.
Nabende also praised Prof. Oyana for steering the college before his tenure and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as Acting Principal.
“I’m really, really happy that I was given the opportunity to act as a principal,” he said, describing the experience as an important opportunity for him.
He told Bainomugisha that he would continue to support the college and university’s strategic direction.
Internal Audit calls for a smooth transition
Representing the Office of the Chief Internal Auditor, Aggrey Luwuliza commended Nabende for accepting to act as Principal and subsequently handing over the office.
Luwuliza said handover processes are important because they formally mark the transition from one office-holder to another and allow incoming leaders to understand the status of an institution.
He urged the outgoing and incoming principals to agree on the contents of the handover report and areas requiring follow-up so that the transition does not become a source of disagreement.
“We are here to support you,” Luwuliza said, stressing the importance of agreement between the two office-holders before the formal handover.
He also congratulated Bainomugisha for accepting the responsibility of leading the college and wished him success.
Students welcome new Principal
CoCIS student chairperson Jim Ainamani, a fourth-year Bachelor of Software Engineering student, congratulated Bainomugisha on his appointment and pledged students’ cooperation.
Ainamani said students’ experiences at the college are significantly influenced by its leadership and expressed optimism that the new Principal would continue the tradition of caring leadership.
“For the time I’ve been here, for the three and a half years, I have been able to witness caring principals, from Professor Tony to our outgoing principal,” he said.
He said students hoped to work with Bainomugisha, learn from his leadership and benefit from an improved experience at the college.
Staff pledge cooperation
Dr. Swaibu Kyanda Kaawaase, Head of the Networks Department, delivered a vote of thanks on behalf of the college, welcoming Bainomugisha and pledging staff cooperation.
Kaawaase said staff expected positive developments under the new leadership and would work with the Principal to make CoCIS more innovative and globally recognised.
He also highlighted staff welfare and student experience as areas where cooperation would be important.
“We pledge cooperation in all aspects to ensure that our college can be the one that can be talked about in the rest of the globe as being very innovative,” he said.
He further pledged cooperation to ensure students receive the best possible education and staff welfare is strengthened.
A new chapter for CoCIS
The transition comes at a time when CoCIS is expanding its academic programmes, research and innovation portfolio while simultaneously confronting staffing constraints, programme accreditation and review requirements, rising student numbers and staff attrition.
Bainomugisha begins his tenure with a detailed handover outlining both the achievements and pressure points facing the college.
Rather than promising an immediate solution to every challenge, he called for a collaborative approach focused on addressing issues progressively.
He also reaffirmed that the Principal and Deputy Principal would work closely together, maintaining continuity in the leadership of the college.
“As we are just starting off, what I’m praying for is for God to give us wisdom and good life, and teamwork,” Bainomugisha said. “I look forward to working with you all.”
The handover formally closes Nabende’s brief stint as Acting Principal while marking the beginning of Bainomugisha’s tenure, with the new Principal expected to steer CoCIS through the next phase of academic, research, innovation and institutional development.
Who is Engineer Bainomugisha?
Note: Name Origin: “Engineer” is his actual first name, given by his parents who noticed his childhood curiosity about how things work.
Engineer Bainomugisha is Professor of Computer Science and the former Chair of the Department of Computer Science at Makerere University. His research focuses on Computer Science-driven solutions to the prevailing world challenges. He is also passionate about contributing to quality Computer Science education that is of sufficient breath and depth, practical and fast enough. Professor Bainomugisha currently leads several innovative initiatives that aim to create and apply computational methods and tools that can improve the quality of life especially in the developing world setting.
His current research projects include building networks of miniature devices to: measure and derive trends of air quality in over 50 urban centers in Uganda to tackle the growing air pollution challenge in developing countries; monitor soil conditions to help farms make smart decisions; measure the quality of road infrastructure in Uganda to help municipalities and road users. Professor Bainomugisha and his team are also building a multi-cloud solution that supports portability of apps and services between private and public clouds while taking into account unique African realities like bandwidth constraints, Internet and power outages. Previously
Professor Bainomugisha investigated and developed programming languages and software tools to help programmers easily write highly adaptive mobile software without worrying about low-level concerns. His research in this area helped create iScheme and Flute programming languages. He is also the Principal Investigator for several research projects including “Probabilistic low-cost air pollution monitoring”; “Centre for Data Technology”; “Build Research Capacity for Innovative ICT4D”; and “African Virtual Cloud Initiative”;
Professor Bainomugisha received a Ph.D. and MSc. in Computer Science from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium in 2008 & 2012, respectively; and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Makerere University in 2006. Prior to returning to Makerere University he worked as a pre-doctoral and postdoctoral researcher at the Software Languages Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
Jane Anyango is the Principal Communication Officer CoCIS
Photo Credits: Peninah Nalubega 4th year Journalism and Communication student
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