Business & Management
Over 1,700 graduate from CoBAMS as best researchers & students are awarded
The College of Business and Management Sciences has today January 31, 2024, the 3rd day of the 74th graduation ceremony, graduated 1,704 students. At the same function, five of the college’s senior researchers received the Vice Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award 2023.
The researchers, Dr. Allen Kabagenyi, Dr. Peter Kisaakye, Assoc. Prof. Betty Kwagala, Dr. Francis Wasswa and Dr. Stephen Wandera, were recognized for having the highest number of publications, in the last 5 years, in the college. This year’s graduation saw 7 people graduate with PhDs, 214 with Masters, 4 with Post graduate diplomas and 1479 with undergraduate degrees from the College of Business and Management Sciences. Of these 900 are female while 803 are male representing 52.9% and 47.1% respectively.
During the course of the 74th graduation ceremony, a total of 12,913 graduands will receive degrees and diplomas of Makerere University. Of these, a total of 132 graduands will graduate with PhDs, 1585 with Masters degrees, 11,016 with Bachelor’s degrees, 156 with postgraduate diplomas, and 24 with undergraduate diplomas. 53% of the graduands are female and 47% are male. In the category of PhD graduands, 46 are female and 86 are male. In the category of students graduating with Master’s degrees, 699 are female and 886 are male.
While addressing the graduands, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, said the university’s goal is to graduate at least 200 PhDs per year in response to the World Bank’s call for at least 100,000 PhDs for Africa over the next 10 years, to pull the continent out of poverty.
He also congratulated the college upon the various milestones achieved in the last one year which include, drafting of the proposed Parish Development Model (PDM) implementation strategy. This, the College did, in partnership with the UNDP. The draft strategy is under review by the Office of the Prime Minister. The Strategy will go a long way in improving Parish Development Model (PDM) implementation.
The VC reechoed the Chief Justice’s call to the fresh graduates to go to the communities and sensitise people about the potential of the Parish Development Model to get them out of poverty if they invest the money provided by Government wisely.
“If this initiative fails, we will all have failed, and I encourage everybody to keep politics out of this initiative. We have more than 200,000 students in all universities in Uganda and only 60,800 parishes. Theoretically there are three students for each parish. If we all, Government and universities think out of the box, we can go to every parish and make the difference that is so badly needed,” Prof. Nawangwe said.
The VC congratulated the college upon holding the first entrepreneurship congress which brought which gave students an opportunity to network and learn from practitioners, entrepreneurs and financial institutions among others.
He noted that the School of Economics entered a new partnership with Oxford University and jointly hosted the 2023 workshop on Economic Development in Africa, while the School of Statistics and Planning also co-hosted an international conference on “Ageing and Health of Older Persons in Sub-Saharan Africa’ in February 2023.
Celebrating Top Students
The Vice Chancellor recognized the top performing students in the college, who are to be awarded by different partner organizations.
Lwamasaka Prosper, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce and a CGPA of 4.62 will be awarded by ACCA for his outstanding performance.
Mr. Jude Sebuliba, graduating with a Masters of Economics, will receive the Economic Policy Research Center Young Professionals Program 2024, from EPRC.
Five (5) students of Bachelor of Actuarial Sciences will be awarded by Prudential Assurance Uganda Limited. The awardees will receive one-year apprenticeship at Prudential, USD 500 each and sponsorship for professional Actuarial Certification.
The students are: Muhumuza Mark with a CGPA of 4.44, Kobugabe Michelle Audrey with a CGPA of 4.22, Uwera Ruth Michelle with a CGPA of 4.20, Bunjo Stephen Hugh with a CGPA of 4.18 and Namuddu Anneliz with a CGPA of 4.18. I congratulate all the students upon this great achievement.
Makerere University Transcripts and Certificates
In the past two years, Makerere University has come up with measures aimed at making the issuance of academic transcripts and certificates very fast and convenient by shortening the clearance process. In November 2022 the university organized the Public Fair on Transcripts and Certificates during which more than 4,650 certificates and 4,113 transcripts were issued. This year, with the support of the University Council and Senate, the Department of the Academic Registrar, the Directorate of ICT Support Services, and the leadership at the Colleges, the academic transcripts for students graduating during the 74th graduation ceremony were printed before graduation. “The academic transcripts are ready and they are due for issuance to graduands who have satisfied the academic and financial obligations I therefore urge all our graduands to pick their transcripts from their respective colleges,” the VC said.
The Vice Chancellor congratulated all graduands and called on them to Cherish the knowledge and experiences they have received, but remember that learning never ends.
Business & Management
Government Officials Equipped with Critical Skills in Financial Appraisal and Risk Analysis
A two-week intensive training in Financial Appraisal and Risk Analysis for government officers across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) concluded today April 11, 2025 at the Pearl on the Nile Hotel in Jinja. The training, delivered under the Programme on Financial Appraisal and Risk Analysis (PIAR) and spearheaded by the Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE) at Makerere University, sought to bridge long-standing capacity gaps in the preparation, appraisal, and review of public sector projects.
The event was officially closed by Dr. Hennery Ssebukeera, representing the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Dr. Ssebukeera highlighted that the training was designed in response to a comprehensive needs assessment, which revealed persistent gaps in government officers’ abilities to carry out cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses, and to prepare or assess pre-feasibility and feasibility studies.
“Many government projects have not been properly appraised due to limited internal capacity,” Dr. Ssebukeera stated. “Too often, we rely on external consultants to prepare feasibility studies, yet our officers are not adequately equipped to interrogate or validate those studies.” He expressed confidence that participants now possess practical skills to analyze topics such as risk analysis, financial modelling, discount rates, project finance, and consumer surplus. “You are now in a position to not only prepare but also critically evaluate complex project documentation,” he added.
Ms. Esther Ayebare, Acting Assistant Commissioner in the Public Investment Management Department at MoFPED, acknowledged the participants’ dedication and active engagement. “As the unit that hosts the Development Committee, we are pleased that this training has added critical skills to help you prepare and submit viable public projects,” she said, calling on the participants to be part of building a sustainable pipeline of investment-ready projects.
In his remarks, Dr. John Sseruyange, Manager of the PIM CoE, emphasized that this training is only the beginning. “While we’ve now completed the financial appraisal component, the next step is Economic Appraisal and Stakeholder Analysis—where we evaluate a project’s broader impact on society and the economy,” he said. He also extended appreciation to the Government of Uganda, particularly MoFPED, for funding the training, as well as to Ms. Esther Ayebare and other facilitators for their unwavering commitment.
Prof. Eria Hisali, who represented the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences, praised the participants for navigating what would typically be a semester-long course within just two weeks. “This is a practical, work-oriented training. The knowledge you’ve gained here should be applicable immediately,” he said. He further invited the graduates to attend the upcoming Public Investment Management Conference in August 2025 to share their experiences and provide feedback.
Participants also expressed their gratitude. One quoted the Quran, saying, “Whoever gives you knowledge has given you everything,” in appreciation of the facilitators and the opportunity to learn.
The PIAR program, jointly implemented by Makerere University, MoFPED, the National Planning Authority (NPA), and Cambridge Resources International (CRI), includes two modules: the just-completed Financial Appraisal and Risk Analysis, and the upcoming Economic Appraisal and Stakeholder Analysis. As Uganda continues to push for better value from public investments, trainings like this are building a critical mass of experts who will ensure that every shilling invested delivers real impact.
Business & Management
Makerere and MoFPED Resume Training of Government Officials in Financial Appraisal and Risk Analysis
The Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE) at Makerere University has resumed its in-depth training program for government officials in Financial Appraisal and Risk Analysis. The two-week training, held in Jinja, brings together public officers from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) across Uganda.
The training was officially opened by Ms. Esther Ayebare, who represented the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury (PSST) at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). She emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening public sector capacity under the Public Investment Management System (PIMS) framework.
Ms. Ayebare underscored the importance of the training in building the technical capacity required for sound investment decision-making. “This training will empower you to make informed decisions, assess financial viability, and identify risks that could impact investment outcomes,” she noted.
Professor Edward Bbaale, Principal Investigator of the PIM CoE, he expressed appreciation to MoFPED for its financial support and strategic collaboration in organizing the training and nominating participants. “Your continued support is instrumental in enhancing the skills and capacity of government workers in Public Investment Management,” he said. He further acknowledged the role of Vice Chancellors, Permanent Secretaries, and CAOs in nominating participants and reaffirmed Makerere’s commitment to delivering transformative learning through a blend of theory and hands-on project appraisal.
Participants in the training will engage with real-world projects in sectors such as roads, health, energy, and education. Upon successful completion, they will receive a prestigious tripartite certificate from Makerere University, MoFPED, and Queen’s University in Canada.
The training features facilitators from Cambridge Resources International, the International Growth Centre, the National Planning Authority, and MoFPED, offering a curriculum rooted in global best practices.
Participants were encouraged to not only apply the knowledge in their respective roles but also to mentor colleagues, thereby broadening the reach and impact of the program.
The PIM CoE continues to play a pivotal role in shaping Uganda’s public investment landscape through research, advisory services, and outreach. Recent milestones include the revision of the Development Committee guidelines and the convening of a national PIM conference in October 2024.
With the resumption of this training, Uganda takes yet another step toward fostering a skilled public sector capable of steering high-impact investments for sustainable national development.
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