Prof. Henry Alinaitwe (2nd Right) hands over to incoming Principal, Assoc. Prof. Moses Musinguzi (Right) while Assoc. Prof. Venny Nakazibwe (Centre) hands over to incoming Deputy Principal, Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule (2nd Left) as the Directorate of Internal Audit's Mr. Aggrey Luwuliza (Left) witnesses on 29th September 2023.
Prof. Henry Alinatwe handed over the office of the Principal College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) to Assoc. Prof. Moses Musinguzi after a ten-year tenure.
Similarly, Dr. Venny Nakazibwe, who has served in the position of Deputy Principal for two terms also handed over office to Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule.
Incoming Deputy Principal Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule (Right) hands over an appreciation plaque to Assoc. Prof. Venny Nakazibwe (Left).
The handover ceremony was held in the CEDAT Boardroom on Friday 29th September 2023 and was witnessed among others by Deans and heads of departments including Assoc. Prof. Dorothy Okello from School of Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Anthony Gidudu, School of the Built Environment, Dr. Lydia Mazzi, Head Department of Geomatics and Land Management, Dr. Nathan Kibwami, Head Construction Economics and Management, Dr. Abubaker Matovu Wasswa, Electrical and Computer engineering, Dr. Moses Matovu from Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr. Ronald Mpindi Kibudde from Industrial Arts and applied Design.
The Administrative staff that witnessed the hand over included Mr. Luwuliza Aggrey from Internal Audit, Mrs. Hellen Ssali, the College Registrar, Mrs. Apolot Opolot Josephine, the Principal Human Resource officer, and the College Bursar Mr. Ronald Sambwa.
The Incoming and Outgoing Principals and Deputy Principals (Seated) with CEDAT staff.
While handing over the office to his successor, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe said he served a two term tenure as the head of the college effective 2nd January 2014, a period of ten years and three months, albeit with some intermittent periods of acting appointment.
‘I have served as Principal for ten years and three months. It has been an enriching experience for me to serve Makerere University. I owe the success and achievements made to the cooperation of the members of staff and students at CEDAT’, said Prof. Alinaitwe while addressing a number of staff that witnessed the handover ceremony.
Further, he commended the support rendered to him by the Vice Chancellor and the central administration as a whole, the development partners, Government Ministries and the private sector, citing the World Bank that funded the Africa Centers of Excellence and the Presidential Initiative as examples.
Prof. Henry Alinaitwe (in the middle) flanked by Assoc. Prof. Venny Nakazibwe (Left) and Assoc. Prof. Moses Musinguzi (Right).
He highlighted some of his roles as the Chief Administrative, Academic and Financial officer that included ensuring implementation of the University policies. He said as Principal he was responsible for the proper implementation of academic programs, promotion of research and innovation as well as budget management and resource mobilization among many others.
In an elaborate hand over report, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe highlighted the key administrative units of the college that included the centres, the three Schools and the various programs offered, namely School of Engineering, School of the Built Environment, and the Margaret Trowel School of Industrial and Fine Art. Also highlighted were the staff and students at the College, the assets, office facilities and equipment in the office of the Principal and the basic and applied research projects ongoing.
The incoming Principal was also informed of the Budget and College finances noting the challenge of the budget ceilings remaining constant despite the increase in commodity prices and other costs.
The incoming Principal, Assoc. Prof. Moses Musinguzi.
Concerning the various laws, policies and regulations governing the activities at the University, Prof. Alinaitwe urged the incoming leaders to get acquainted to laws and regulations as contained in the Constitution of Uganda, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, the Public Finance Management Act, The national Audit Act and the National Development plan..
While emphasizing the need for proper planning for the College, Prof. Alinaitwe urged the new leaders to adhere to the University and College Strategic Plans that are in line with the National Development plan. He said it was also a requirement for the Principal to ensure that quarterly and Annual Reports are submitted to the University management.
He informed the incoming Principal that it will be his duty to chair a number of meetings including the Academic and Administrative Board meetings that are charged with the administration of academic activities and administrative support services respectively.
In the area of collaboration and networks that the college in engaged in. Prof. Alinaitwe said there were a number of memorandums of Understanding between CEDAT and other Institutions and encouraged the incoming Principal to regularly make reference to them when dealing with the various institutions. He said starting with 2022, all memorandums of understanding were required to be cleared by the Solicitor General, and signed by the Vice Chancellor.
In some of the recommendations made by the outgoing leadership, the incoming team was asked to reinstitute the resource mobilization and research grants office and to encourage staff to participate more in grant writing. He charged them to make close follow up of the progress of post graduate students in order to ensure timely completion of programs and to aim at enrolling more graduate students up to 30% in the near future. As a new team, they were also encouraged to lobby for increased funding to cater for the increasing teaching and laboratory requirements.
The incoming Principal Assoc. Prof. Moses Musinguzi extended his appreciation to the outgoing College leadership, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe and Dr. Venny Nakazibwe, the Principal and Deputy Principal respectively for the great input they made in the management and leadership of the college. He said he was honored to be in the position of Principal and appreciated the University Council and management, senate and the Chancellor for the opportunity to serve.
‘I thank all CEDAT staff who gave me encouragement, motivation and support to offer my candidature’, he said and expressed his commitment to uphold the CEDAT legacy and more so look for opportunities to make it even better.
He said the disciplines taught at CEDAT constantly evolve, demand adaptability and a forward thinking approach. We need to put CEDAT at the forefront of Innovation and progress.
He said his task in the first month as Principal will be to gain a deeper understanding of each unit of the College at the level of Departments, research centres, research groups and other units in order to gain an appreciation of the College problems and in line with the recommendations from the outgoing Principal work towards redressing them.
Incoming Deputy Principal Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule.
He congratulated his Deputy Principal Dr. Kizito Maria Kasule for taking up the office and pledged to have a cordial working relationship with him and the rest of the team in the effort to uplift the college, the university and the nation as a whole.
The incoming Principal and Deputy Principal will serve a four-year term.
On August 21, 2025, a delegation from the Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) improvement project visited Roofings Rolling Mills’ facility in Namanve Industrial Park. The visit represented the project’s fourth major engagement with industry stakeholders, continuing its goal to foster a world-class safety culture within Uganda’s engineering and industrial sectors.
This OSHE initiative is a collaboration among Makerere University, Busitema University, and Kyambogo University, with support from the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom. It aims to establish Centres of Excellence at each university, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and practical industry application of Occupational Safety, Health and Environment(OSHE) standards.
The Makerere University team, led by Dr. Abubaker Matovu Waswa, Head of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) and Principal Investigator of the project, received a warm welcome from a senior delegation of Roofings Rolling Mills. The reception involved key engineers from the Health and Safety Department, along with Human Resources and Production Managers, highlighting the company’s strong commitment to collaborative innovation and industrial partnership.
A high-level delegation from the Department of Construction Economics and Management, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), led by Head of Department Dr. Nathan Kibwami, has engaged the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) in strategic discussions aimed at unlocking new financing avenues for Ugandan businesses through asset securitization.
Accompanied by staff members Ronald Kaweesi and Tulikuno Collins, the delegation met with USE officials to explore collaborative opportunities focused on transforming both tangible and intangible assets into viable financial instruments for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Among the key proposals was the development of a postgraduate programme in securitization of tangible assets, designed to build local expertise in asset-backed financing and capital markets. The team also discussed guest lecturing opportunities on the Bachelor of Science in Valuation programme, aiming to enrich academic instruction with practical insights from Uganda’s financial sector.
The dialogue emphasized the importance of building synergies between academia and capital markets to guide Ugandan businesses, particularly SME, in leveraging their asset portfolios to access financing. This initiative is expected to enhance financial inclusion and stimulate economic growth by empowering enterprises to tap into alternative funding mechanisms.
Dr. Kibwami noted that the partnership could “reshape how Ugandan businesses perceive and utilize their assets, not just as operational tools, but as strategic financial resources.”
The Uganda Securities Exchange welcomed the initiative, highlighting its alignment with ongoing efforts to deepen Uganda’s capital markets and support enterprise development. This collaboration marks a significant step toward bridging the gap between academic research, professional training, and real-world financial innovation.
The inaugural cohort of the ReSus Summer School Series 2025–2027, held from August 3rd to 12th, 2025, successfully concluded their engagement at Makerere University.Guided by the theme “Renewable Resources for Sustainable Development in Africa (ReSus-AFRICA),” the program convened emerging African researchers to explore innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability through renewable resources.
Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships at Makerere University, officiated the closing ceremony held at the Rotary Peace Centre. In his address, he urged participants to carry forward the knowledge, networks, and collaborations forged during the Summer School. “The challenges we face in energy, environment, and resource management demand sustained research, bold innovation, and unwavering commitment,” he emphasized. He encouraged the inaugural cohort to keep the conversations alive and to translate the ideas explored into tangible actions that will positively impact communities and drive transformation across the continent.
Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships at Makerere University, gave the closing remarks
Prof. Wamala highlighted the alignment of the Summer School with Makerere University’s vision of becoming a research-led institution. He emphasized that convening early-career scholars from across the continent was a strategic move to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, foster South-to-South knowledge exchange, and equip participants with practical skills in renewable resource management. By hosting 21 outstanding PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from various African countries, Makerere University demonstrated its commitment to addressing shared challenges in sustainable development.
It has indeed been an honour for Makerere University to host 21 outstanding PhD students and postdoctoral scholars from across Africa. Your contributions, questions, and shared experiences have highlighted the immense value of bringing together diverse minds to address the complex challenges of sustainable development, noted Eng. Dr. Assoc. Prof Dorothy Okello, the Dean of the School of Engineering. This Summer School has demonstrated the power of collaboration in advancing research that is both locally relevant and globally impactful.