General
Mak, UNDP Commission Innovation pod
It was a celebration as the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, and the UNDP Resident Representative, H.E. Elsie Attafuah, commissioned equipment worth $1 million for the newly constructed state-of-the-art innovation Pod at Makerere University. The innovation hub is expected to foster creativity, innovation and collaboration among students, researchers and entrepreneurs.
Commissioned on January 9, 2024, the research facility is expected to drive technological advancements in the country. The Innovation Hub aims to provide a collaborative space for entrepreneurs and researchers to develop groundbreaking solutions. The hub will offer state-of-the-art facilities and resources to support the growth of startups and facilitate knowledge sharing. It will also foster networking opportunities and mentorship programs to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of starting and scaling their businesses. By providing access to cutting-edge technology and expertise, the Innovation Hub will empower entrepreneurs and researchers to push the boundaries of innovation in the country. Additionally, the hub will serve as a catalyst for job creation and economic growth by attracting investors and fostering collaboration between startups and established businesses.
The innovation pod houses several sections, which include the food technology section, technology transfer office, two computer-aided design rooms, vitual reality studio, Computerized Numerical Control workshop (CNC), textiles and design lab, electronic maker space, tools workshop, and 3D printing, among others.
While commissioning the facility, H.E Elsie Attafuah, the UNDP resident representative, called on more innovation among the youth and a need to have Ugandans that have a burning desire to change the status quo so that we can develop the country. This, she said, is the only way the African continent will reduce donor dependence.
She underscored the importance of empowering young people and fostering a culture of ambition and determination.
She said the world is changing and technological advancements are happening at a fast rate which calls for the need to cope with the digital world to address the challenges and create opportunities for poverty alleviation among the people.
“We have had uncertainties in the world, and the changes that we are seeing, including those of a political nature, should open our eyes. The COVID pandemic brought changes but also created opportunities for new technologies and digitalization for new possibilities,” Ms. Attafuah said.
Ms. Attafuah said the future is artificial intelligence, and Africa needs to adapt to the new normal.
Prof. Banarbas Nawangwe, the Makerere University Vice Chancellor, said it is universities that are going to change Africa, and this will only be achieved through conducting a lot of research and creating companies. He shared with the audience the importance of embracing technology and leveraging artificial intelligence for innovation and development in Africa. His dream, he shared, is to see companies born out of research at Makerere University, creating employment for thousands of graduates and driving economic growth.
“We are looking at creating innovations that can employ people who are not as privileged as we are. We must deal with population growth because it is worrying to tackle the economic challenges among people,” Prof. Nawangwe said, adding, “Innovation is the heartbeat of development.” It is crucial for us to find solutions that can uplift marginalized communities and ensure inclusive economic growth, he said.
He cautioned against Africa being left behind in the digital era. “Artificial Intelligence is not a choice; it is a necessity that we must embraced” he concluded.
The Vice Chancellor lauded UNDP for the support extend not only to Makerere University but to the whole of Africa.
He urged the student innovators to make good use of the pod to help them in turning their ideas into commercial products.
“We want to ensure that our students leave the university with startup ideas, which are the products they have come up with. This will act as a ladder to get them to where they want to be,” Prof Nawangwe said.
The vice chancellor used the same event to bid farewell to HE Elsie Attafuah following her transfer to Nigeria.
Mr Nathan Tumuhamye, the head of exploration at UNDP, said the innovation pod is part of the broader UNDP support to the innovation ecosystem within public universities and is being implemented in 13 countries across Africa.
Mr Tumuhamye said the pod will serve students from different disciplines and researchers and it is open to every person who has innovations they want to implement.
He revealed that their ultimate goal is to have a pod that will help youth to create jobs and leave university with business products.
The Innovations
Some innovators took the opportunity to exhibit their ideas. Some of these included Grace Nakyanzi, a third year student pursuing Petroleum Geo-Science and production, who innovated a carbon structure and innovation project designed to mitigate climate changes through capturing carbon dioxide emissions through storing them and repurposing them in various industries.
“This leads to a cleaner and sustainable environment as well as reducing or slowing down the pace of global warming,” she explained.
Nakyanzi believes this project will create employment opportunities, technological advancements, and improved air quality among others.
The project is designed in a sense that it captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which can also be collected from the oceans, or from an industry emitting a lot of carbon dioxide.
Dr Gabriel Tumwine, a lecturer at Makerere at College of Veterinary Animal Resources and Biosecurity, has done research in making briquettes. He said his research was driven by the lack of wood fuel to cook food in Butaleja district. He then conducted research that can enable him to make briquettes out of rice husks.
Dr Tumwine said people in Butaleja engage in rice farming from low lands where forests were cut down. And most of these people, he said, only eat rice because they cannot afford wood fuel to boil hard food like beans that take a lot of fuel.
“We did our simple science to see how we can convert husks into briquettes. Firstly, we change the rice husks into carbonation, making it black. And thereafter, we use binders to make them into the sizes we want to turn them into charcoal,” Dr Tumwine said.
Mr. Mulonde Muwanguzi, a first year student from CoBAMS, came up with a cooking stove that uses old oils after realizing that they had refused people to cut down more trees in Uganda and yet the cost of cooking gas is very high.
“We wanted to minimize the costs to enable even the underprivileged to get access to decent cooking methods recommended by the government,” he said adding, “The stove consists of used oils that are put in a tank and a solar power that powers the battery.
He believes the cooking stove is cheaper since a 20 litre jerrycan of used oils costs UG Shs.20,000 compared to a sack of charcoal which goes for more than UG Shs.150,000.
Matia Ategeka, a graduand of Water and Irrigation Engineering, came up with a water pump that is capable of pumping water without using electricity and solar power to operate.
The water pump is installed in a river or a stream and it keeps rotating as it pumps water being driven by the gravitational force of the flowing water.
Ategeka comes from a village in Kabarole district where they are experiencing a challenge of access to water for irrigation caused by the high cost of pumps available in the markets and maintenance costs.
“We have rivers but accessing water was a problem and when I got a chance and joined Makerere, I sat down and thought of how I can help poor people to solve that problem such that they can access water during the dry season,” Ategeka said.
Joel Felix Ochom, a third year student of Pharmacy also exhibited a new malaria treatment, which he has been researching since 2022. Felix said the drug has undergone various clinical trials in both animals and humans and it has proved to work. “We want to provide cheaper malaria drugs for our population,” he said. The drug, has been packaged as a syrup, capsule and tablet format. The drug, Felix was happy to report has been patented. The dose of 100ml, for an adult cost Shs3000 while that for a child, 50mls costs Shs1500. The team led by Felix has also made mosquito repellent.
Also on display were various varieties of improved cow peas seeds.
General
Makerere University and Xiangtan University Advance Strategic Partnership in Chemical Engineering
Makerere University and Xiangtan University are set to update their close to 20-year academic partnership, with a new focus on launching a joint Master’s degree program in Chemical Engineering and expanding student and staff exchange initiatives.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a recent visit by a delegation from Xiangtan University to Makerere University headed by Professor Dingyu Ou, in the company of Mr. Tang Fei and Professor Gilbert Gumshabe, the Chinese and Ugandan Directors of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University respectively.
While addressing the delegation, Professor Nawangwe highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify academic offerings and contribute to national development through training in Chemical Engineering. Through this new initiative, the University will better prepare graduates for the petrochemical industry and support the country’s industrial growth.
The Vice Chancellor appreciated that the proposed collaboration aims to address Uganda’s growing need for industrial expertise, particularly as the country develops its petroleum sector. The two universities here are working toward a 1+2 training model, which will enable Makerere students to gain practical experience and access advanced laboratory facilities at Xiangtan University.
Professor Nawangwe further reiterated that “our relationship with the people of China, not just for Makerere but also for a big part of Uganda, has been opened wider by the establishment of the Confucius Institute, considering that many other collaborations like one being discussed now have come through this collaboration.”
The head of the Xiangtan delegation, Professor Dingyu Ou, expressed appreciation for the meeting, and acknowledged the history between the institutions. “As mentioned, we have a very long relationship and a very stable friendship between our two universities.”
Professor Ou extended appreciation for the support provided to the Confucius Institute at Makerere, the care shown to his colleagues, and looked forward to the successful start of the Chemical Engineering collaboration.
Assuring the delegation of Makerere’s readiness for the collaboration, Ms. Hawa Ndagire Kajumba the Lead, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, Makerere University Advancement Office, aligned with the Vice Chancellor’s emphasis of University goal to have both theory and practice imparted to the students.
She said “the curriculum of the university and Uganda as a whole is moving towards competence-based education training to ensure students are equipped to demonstrate those skills in the actual field, particularly regarding petroleum exploration.”
Ms. Ndagire Kajumba also emphasised a shift in strategy for the partnership office, saying, “we are moving away from just signing MOUs that collect dust, and moving towards those that are more collaborative to benefit our faculty and students, just like this one.”
Professor Gilbert Kumushabe aligned his remarks with those of the Vice Chancellor and Ms. Ndagire Kajumba, and described the method used at Xiangtan University as “actually competence-based teaching.”
Based on his recent visit, Prof. Gumoshabe shared that students in China are divided into groups with dedicated teachers to perform practical, hands-on work beyond the theoretical lecturers. He expressed gladness that the same was being adopted for the Ugandan context.
Both institutions are now working to finalise the specific agreements for the joint degree and exchange programs. Beyond academic training, the collaboration will advance cultural and professional exchange.
Makerere University on October 8, 2026 commemorated Nkrumah Day with a Public Lecture at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium. The Lecture gathered students, academics, historians and distinguished guests to discuss Kwame Nkrumah’s contribution and its relevance to Africa.
Organised by Nkrumah Hall under the theme “Leadership, Self-Reliance and Transformation: Reimagining Nkrumah’s Vision for the 21st Century African Youth,” the lecture explored how Nkrumah’s ideals of Pan-Africanism, self-reliance and African unity can guide the continent beyond political independence.
Endorsing Nkrumah’s Vision of Investing in Africa
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of Makerere University, Rt. Hon. Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga, was the chief guest.
In remarks delivered on his behalf by Dr. Charles Kahigiriza, Dr. Kiyonga said the day was a moment to reflect on Nkrumah’s views on Pan-Africanism and the lessons on self-reliance still held for Africa today and emphasised the importance of keeping Africa’s young talent at home (in Africa).
He then discussed ways of encouraging young people to achieve Nkrumah’s vision, pointing out that Africa is losing skilled people to brain drain as many go abroad to work.
He encouraged young Africans to stay and contribute to the continent’s growth, describing Africa’s potential as a promising asset.
Transformation Requires Discipline
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Gerald Karyeija, a political analyst and Head of Quality Assurance at the Uganda Management Institute (UMI).
He discussed Nkrumah’s role in championing Pan-Africanism and the formation of the African Union. He acknowledged that “his legacy was also very complex” due to a number of challenges.
Regarding leadership, the professor argued, “leadership does not begin with the title. It begins with responsibility,” adding that “leadership is not only about power, privilege, entitlement, or status. It’s about service. It’s about stewardship.”
He encouraged attendees to emulate Nkrumah by using their knowledge and power for good.
“Don’t get the intellectual power from Makerere to become evil,” he cautioned, stressing that transformation requires discipline.
Universities Turn Knowledge into Action
Associate Professor Gorettie Nabanoga, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, represented Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University.
She aligned herself with the previous speakers and urged participants to move beyond simply celebrating Kwame Nkrumah’s memory and begin implementing his vision.
She called for practical action, urging the mobilisation of Pan-Africanism beyond slogans. “Perhaps the Pan-Africanism of this generation must therefore move from solidarity to capacity, from rhetoric to institutions, from potential to production, and from aspirations to implementation,” she said.
On the role of universities, she reiterated that Makerere University is a hub for innovation rather than just a degree-granting institution.
“We are building for the future when we develop people who can think critically, when we generate knowledge, when we challenge perceived knowledge and wisdom, and when we innovate,” she said.
Addressing the students present, she said, “You are not simply the leaders of tomorrow; you are citizens of Africa today. The opportunity you enjoy at Makerere University comes with responsibility.”
Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli, the Dean of Students at Makerere University, set the tone at the 2026 Nkrumah Day Public Lecture.
She revealed that this lecture organised under Nkrumah Hall highlights its significance as a symbol of Makerere University‘s commitment to Pan-Africanism. “The name Nkrumah Hall has stood the test of time and sounds like a horn beautifully over the African continent and beyond,” she said.
She elaborated on the lecture’s theme of leadership, self-reliance and transformation, noting its alignment with the university’s mission to nurture future leaders.
Direction of Pan-Africanism
During a panel discussion, speakers questioned how far Africa has come. Associate Professor Zahara Napeewo, Deputy Dean of the School of Law at Makerere University, stated that the continent was still lagging behind the progress Nkrumah would have wanted.
She shared that while educational institutions provide knowledge, they must go further and encourage graduates to become problem-solvers who can create employment for themselves rather than wait to be employed.
Dr. Zaid Sekitto, a Lecturer in the Department of History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Makerere, added that the structures of colonialism that Nkrumah fought against were still in place. “They must be addressed”, he said, or Africa would remain trapped in colonialism and lose sight of Nkrumah’s vision.
The Youth and the Unfinished Struggle
The students also had an opportunity to share their perspectives on the unfinished struggle for Pan-Africanism.
Nkrumah Hall Chairperson Joseph Sekabira noted that the Africa Nkrumah fought for was not the Africa that exists today.
He urged young people to take up leadership now rather than wait until they were older.
Mark Kwikiriza, a final-year Bachelor of Arts in Music student and resident of Nkrumah Hall, said Nkrumah’s legacy remained relevant because the problems he faced in Ghana were similar to those society faces today.
He recommended that society could rejuvenate the spirit of “Osagyefo,” the title meaning “redeemer” by which Nkrumah was known.
Honouring 13 Years of Service
The event also recognised Mr. John Kamya for his 13 years of outstanding service as Warden of Nkrumah Hall, a position he held from 2007 to 2020.
He received an appreciation award presented by the Chief Guest’s representative in the presence of the Hall Chairperson and other dignitaries.
In his acceptance remarks, Mr. Kamya noted that the 2018 visit to the Hall by Kwame Nkrumah’s daughter, Ms. Samia Yaba Nkrumah, was one of the fondest memories of his time in office. He thanked Makerere for the opportunity to serve the University community and its stakeholders.
At the peak, the event concluded with tree planting and cake-cutting activity in front of Nkrumah Hall. The audience was left contemplating one message of Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of a united, self-reliant Africa, freed first in the mind, that remains unfinished and in the words of some speakers, has been handed to the current generation as a task to accomplish.
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