Makerere University‘s Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), has commenced the fourth cohort of the Capacity Enhancement and Hands-on Training on the Guidelines for Financial Clearance and the Certificate of Financial Implications (CFI) – Integrated Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis.

The two-week training, held in Jinja, brings together economists, policy analysts, and technical officers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to strengthen their capacity in conducting financial and economic assessments of government policies and legislation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Assistant Commissioner Mohammed Kabaale, who represented the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PSST) emphasized the critical role of the Certificate of Financial Implications in promoting sound fiscal governance and evidence-based policymaking.

“The Certificate of Financial Implications is not merely a procedural requirement. It is a critical safeguard within our public finance management framework,” Mr. Kabaale noted. “It ensures that all policy and legislative proposals submitted to Cabinet or Parliament are fiscally sustainable, consistent with Government’s macroeconomic objectives, and aligned with our national development priorities.”

Mr Kabaale explained that the revised Guidelines for Financial Clearance, which became effective at the start of the current financial year, provide a strengthened institutional and analytical framework for assessing policy proposals. The guidelines require Regulatory Impact Assessments, Statements of Financial Implications from respective MDAs, evidence of stakeholder consultations, and Integrated Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis conducted by the Ministry of Finance.

According to the PSST, these requirements are intended to strengthen inter-agency coordination, improve the quality of the financial clearance process, and ensure that public resources are allocated in a manner that delivers maximum value for money to citizens.

The training is being delivered in partnership with Makerere University‘s Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence, established in 2023 to build national capacity in public investment management and policy analysis.

Representing Makerere University, the Dean of the School of Economics, Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, commended the Ministry of Finance for its foresight in establishing the PIM Centre of Excellence and investing in capacity development for public servants.

“Uganda faces a triple challenge of scale, scarcity and speed,” Prof. Okumu said. “As our population grows, financing becomes more constrained, and citizens demand faster service delivery, every shilling must deliver greater value. Cost-Benefit Analysis and Financial Implications assessments help government make decisions that are beneficial, affordable and resilient under real fiscal constraints.”

Prof. Okumu noted that while Cost-Benefit Analysis helps determine whether a policy or project is worthwhile, integrating Financial Implications assessments ensures that proposed interventions are fiscally sustainable and implementable.

He challenged participants to apply the skills acquired during the training at project, portfolio and policy levels by improving project selection, prioritizing investments that generate the highest economic returns, and institutionalizing evidence-based decision-making across government.

“Analysis must translate into transformation,” he said. “The ultimate measure of success will be the decisions that change because of your work, the value you unlock for Uganda, and the lives that are transformed because you asked the right questions.”

The Dean further observed that integrated financial and economic analysis is increasingly important globally as countries seek to mobilize resources for climate action, digital transformation and sustainable development. He described the participants as part of a growing community of professionals capable of strengthening investor confidence and enhancing public trust through credible policy analysis.

Both speakers underscored the importance of professional integrity, continuous learning and institutional collaboration in advancing Uganda’s public finance reform agenda.

The PSST encouraged participants to engage actively throughout the training and to champion the implementation of the revised guidelines within their respective institutions. The Ministry, he added, will continue investing in systems automation, capacity development and stakeholder engagement to strengthen evidence-based financial clearance processes across government.

The training marks another milestone in the partnership between Makerere University and the Ministry of Finance aimed at building a critical mass of public sector professionals equipped to support fiscally responsible, socially inclusive and economically sound policy decisions. The fourth cohort follows the successful completion of three earlier cohorts conducted during the current financial year and forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Uganda’s public investment management and policy formulation systems.

17^th June 2026: Makerere University College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), in partnership with Rounding Up The Edges (ROUTE) International and SLS Solutions Limited held a productive engagement meeting aimed at equipping students with Soft Skills and Professional Competencies.

The trainings and capacity building programmes will enhance access to student opportunities, and equally empower them in the aspects of Career readiness, Creativity and Innovation.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders including Associate Prof. James Wokadala-the Deputy Principal of the College, Prof. Yawe B. Lule-Department of Economic Theory and Analysis at Makerere University, Dr. Jane Kengeya Kayondo-the founder ROUTE International, Stellah Atizuyo-CEO ROUTE International, Kadde Patience Patricia and Hannah Arinaitwe representing SLS Solutions Limited, and Ritah Namisango-Public Relations and Communications Specialist at Makerere University.

Formalizing the Collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding

Welcoming the participants, the Deputy Principal, Associate Prof. James Wokadala stated that the meeting was building up on earlier discussions aimed at translating shared ideas into concrete actions.

He acknowledged Prof. Yawe Bruno Lule for bringing the parties together. Prof. Yawe has played a significant role in mobilizing students from Makerere University College of Business and Management Sciences (MakCoBAMS) to participate in the online training sessions organized by SLS solutions and ROUTE International.

The Deputy Principal highlighted the importance of formalizing the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), noting that a structured agreement would provide a clear framework for implementation while safeguarding the interests of all parties involved.

He clarified that while the MoU would provide the broad framework for cooperation, individual projects and activities could be implemented through separate contracts or activity-specific agreements.

He called upon stakeholders to identify practical areas for collaboration and explore opportunities for scaling up joint initiatives that would create meaningful impact for students and the university community.

Expanding Industry Engagement through a Business Consortium

During the discussion, Prof. Yawe Bruno Lule, proposed establishing a formal collaboration, with discussions centered on expanding the initiative beyond SLS Solutions into a wider business community consortium where companies can support student development through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions.

“The model would enable companies to collectively support programmes that prepare graduates for the realities of the workplace,” he added.

Empower UG Mentorship Series

In line with its Corporate Social Responsiblity (CSR), SLS Solutions Limited in partnership with ROUTE International is scheduled to host the upcoming Empower UG Mentorship Series on 30th  June 2026 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. The online training will focus on Personal Branding for Career Growth and Leadership.

The parties rallied the MakCoBAMS leadership and staff to publicise the series, and also mobilise the student community to participate in the online mentorship series.

Way Forward

During the meeting, the participants agreed to focus initially on student transformation through training in soft skills, employability, workplace readiness, interview techniques, mindset development, and purpose-driven leadership. They also highlighted the success of the Empower UG Mentorship Series in connecting students with industry professionals and creating opportunities for career growth.

The partners agreed to  prioritize the documentation processes and submit the required information for legal review.

The engagement marked a significant milestone in a growing relationship that seeks to bridge the gap between academic learning and workplace readiness.

Monica Meeme contributed to this story as a Guest Writer. Monica Meeme is a student pursuing a Bachelor of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University.

View on CoBAMS

June 15, 2026: The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has called upon members of faculty and researchers at the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) to harness the power of graduate training to change Africa’s research trajectory. The call aligns with the research-led agenda of Makerere University – a strategic direction aimed at positioning the institution at the forefront of producing the requisite human resources and innovations for Uganda’s and Africa’s transformation.

To reinforce his line of argument, the Vice Chancellor cited statistics that place Africa, which is home to about 16% of the global population, at a rate of only 3% of the world’s total research output.

Strongly convinced that Makerere University through its Colleges, Schools, members of faculty, researchers and graduate students, has the potential to undertake research to change Africa’s research trajectory, the Vice Chancellor challenged the College of Business and Management Sciences to optimize graduate training to channel out research, innovations and publications.

“The future belongs to research. Graduate training presents us with a critical mass of students, to be nurtured, trained and mentored in research, to produce research outputs and innovations. I am therefore here to discuss with you, and hear your views on maximizing the graduate research potential,” he said.

A case for the research-led agenda and graduate training

Established in 1922, Makerere University celebrated 100 years of excellence in 2022. The commencement of its second century, presented the institution with a greater call to be a thought leader of impact-driven research and innovations.

Consequently, in the Strategic Plan, the leadership, staff and stakeholders, committed to the transformation of Makerere University into a research-led institution.

Graduate training was highlighted as a central pillar in the realization of the research-led agenda. Several strides have been registered including a record of 213 PhD graduates during the 76^th graduation ceremony held in February 2026.

Driven by the prospects, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, on Monday 15^th June 2026, held a strategic meeting with the leadership and staff at the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) aimed at harnessing the power of graduate training to build a robust knowledge economy. He underscored the need to align graduate training, research and publications to with the overall research-led agenda of the University.

The meeting brought onboard university officials central to graduate training namely Prof. Julius Kikooma-Director of Graduate Training, Associate Professor William Tayeebwa-Managing Editor of Makerere University Press, the publishing arm of the institution, Prof. Fredrick Jones Muyodi-Head of the Makerere University Writing Centre, Prof. Edward Bbaale-the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences, Associate Professor James Wokadala- the Deputy Principal, Associate Professor Ibrahim Mike Okumu-Dean, School of Economics, Associate Professor Godfrey Akileng-Dean, School of Business, Dr. Margaret Banga-Dean, School of Statistics and Planning, Heads of Departments, Coordinators of Graduate Training, members of faculty and researchers.

Strategies for increasing graduate student numbers

The Vice Chancellor stated that Colleges should work with the Directorate of Graduate Training and key stakeholders to increase the number of graduate students (Masters and PhD levels). To facilitate this strategic direction, the Vice Chancellor emphasized the need to adhere to the policy guidelines, supervision procedures, and coming up with innovative systems aimed at improving the completion rates at the graduate levels.

In his presentation, the Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma focused on the area of PhD training, policy changes to spur graduate training, and the strategic targets of Makerere University.

Specific to the PhD by Research, Prof. Kikooma appealed to the Colleges to popularize this PhD track, and encouraged Schools and Departments to actively contribute to its successful delivery.

Responding to the challenge of workload cognizant of the low staffing levels in some academic disciplines, Prof. Kikooma guided that when filling in the template, the members of faculty should indicate both the teaching load (hours taught) and the supervision load.

Centres of Excellence and Research at CoBAMS

Presenting the research and graduate training strategy, the Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale provided a brief profile of the five (5) Centres of Excellence, through which, the College champions research, innovations, entrepreneurship, policy engagement, community impact.

Prof. Bbaale expounded that the Centres of Excellence and Research provide a practical training ground and mentorship for graduate students (Masters and PhD levels).

The Centres of Excellence and Research include: Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE), Environment for Development (EfD-Mak Centre), Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre, Tumusiime Mutebile Centre of Excellence, Centre for Population and Applied Statistics, the African Centre for Climate-Sensitive Macroeconomic Modelling.

Vice Chancellor tasks CoBAMS to host more Centres of Excellence and Research

Reflecting on the significant contribution of Centres of Excellence to research productivity and visibility, as well as mentorship for graduate students, the Vice Chancellor tasked the College leadership to establish more centres. 

“Centres of Excellence help to redirect research. I therefore task you, to engage the Schools and Departments so that the College hosts over ten (10) Centres,” he guided.

According to the Vice Chancellor, each department at the CoBAMS should host at least two (2) Centres of Excellence and Research.

Publishing with Makererere University Press

In addition to publishing in internationally recognized journals, the Vice Chancellor encouraged the College to come up with home-grown journals, and publish their work in Makerere University journals. He called upon staff to utilize the Makerere University Press, which is the publishing arm of the institution.

The Managing Editor of the Makerere University Press, Associate Professor William Tayeebwa outlined that Makerere University journals are strategic instruments for: global visibility of Makerere University research, academic reputation and institutional ranking, knowledge dissemination and policy influence, strengthening postgraduate supervision and research culture, and attracting international scholarly collaboration.

The Managing Editor explained that the Makerere University Press was implementing a structured, standards-driven journal ecosystem where all journals meet the minimum international publishing standards. He added that the journals are developed intentionally for indexing readiness, and colleges take ownership of journal performance and sustainability, while the Makerere University Press provides the centralized technical and quality assurance support.

Specifically, Associate Professor Tayeebwa informed the audience that the Press had worked with the College of Business and Management Sciences to produce the 2025 working paper series consisting of over 60 research outputs. He added that both entities were in advanced staged of producing the 2026 CoBAMS Working Paper Series, targeting over 80 research outputs. 

With reference to the College by College Indexing Roadmap matrix, the Managing Editor highlighted that the College of Business and Management Sciences will feature the following disciplines: Economics, Finance, Accounting, Marketing, and Management. The Primary Indexing Ecosystem includes: EBSCO Information Services, ProQuest, SSRN, RePEc, and the Prestige Layer including Scopus and the Web of Science.

The Strategic Role of Graduate Training

Presenting the College’s position on graduate training, the Principal-Prof. Edward Bbaale reaffirmed that graduate training is the cornerstone of a research-intensive and innovation-driven university. 

“Graduate training drives research productivity, publication output, grant competitiveness, and internal visibility,” he said. He noted that graduate training strengthens policy engagement, national development impact, and the University’s contribution to knowledge generation.

“Through our graduate programmes, the College of Business and Management Sciences contributes significantly to the University research-led agenda. The College hosts market-responsive and policy-relevant graduate programmes, which attract working professionals and practitioners,” he elaborated.

To illustrate that the demand for CoBAMS graduate programmes is very high, Prof. Bbaale shared an infographic message, with the Master of Business Administration attracting over 700 applicants.

Doctoral Training and Research Coordination

The Principal stressed that graduate coordinators are essential for programme management and quality assurance.

He pointed out that the College had appointed faculty and/or researchers to take on the following roles: Dr. Kasimu Sendawula-Coordinator for the College Doctoral Forum, Dr. Patricia Ndugga-Research and Grants Coordinator, and Dr. Peter Babyenda as the Policy Engagement Coordinator.

He implored the University leadership on the need for institutional recognition and support for graduate coordinators.

Research Productivity and Visibility

Prof. Bbaale reported that the College produced 60 working papers last financial year, and targets to roll out over 80 working papers this financial year.

He highlighted that the College and the Makerere University Press were in the process of developing discipline-based journals, a strategic approach aimed at institutionalizing a strong publication culture.

Recommendations

Building on the strides so far, the Principal advocated for strengthening the graduate infrastructure and ICT, provision of resources and incentives to facilitate graduate teaching, supervision and examinations, institutionalized support for doctoral fora, journals, and research dissemination, and approval to run the Executive Master of Business Administration in a project mode.

Calls to utilize the Makerere University Writing Centre

Prof. Fredrick Jones Muyodi, explained that the Makerere University Writing Centre constitutes a multi-disciplinary team, an attribute that positions the entity as a university-wide unit with ability to handle all disciplines within the University.

Prof. Muyodi explained that the Makerere University Writing Centre has various programmes targeting early-career researchers, discipline-specific demands, and researchers in general.

He called upon the staff at the College of Business and Management Sciences to utilize the services offered by the Makerere University Writing Centre such as trainings and mentorship, grant writing sessions, and capacity building in policy brief writing techniques.