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Prof. Sachs Expresses Optimism about Africa’s Economic Growth, PDMs Success

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The Government of Uganda has been called upon to put in place measures to ensure the effective implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM) programme. The call was made at a High-Level Policy Dialogue organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), National Planning Authority and Makerere University.

Hosted by Makerere University on Wednesday 28th February 2024 at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, the Dialogue was based on the theme “Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals through leveraging Innovating Financing, the Parish Development Model, and Science and Technology”. During the dialogue, the government was urged to set up institutions that can track the usage of the program funds to ensure that the over Shs1 Trillion pumped into the program annually does not go to waste.

This call was made by Prof Ezra Suruma, the Chancellor Emeritus of Makerere University and Uganda’s former Minister of Finance, who was a panelist at the dialogue. Hon Suruma warned that currently, it is difficult to assess the achievements of PDM since there is no clear monitoring of the projects at the parish level where the money is being invested.

Right to Left: WHO Representative to Uganda-Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, Chancellor Emeritus-Prof. Ezra Suruma and UNDP Resident Representative-H.E. Nwanneakolam Vwede-Obahor chat ahead of the High-Level Policy Dialogue. High-Level Policy Dialogue organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), National Planning Authority and Makerere University on the theme “Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals through leveraging Innovating Financing, the Parish Development Model, and Science and Technology”, Keynote address by Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, 28th February 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Right to Left: WHO Representative to Uganda-Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, Chancellor Emeritus-Prof. Ezra Suruma and UNDP Resident Representative-H.E. Nwanneakolam Vwede-Obahor chat ahead of the High-Level Policy Dialogue.

“In Uganda, we are investing Shs 1 Trillion in the 10,594 parishes, but if you ask where it is going, you can’t find it. The PDM money is capital that the government is attempting to invest in our country and that capital is supposed to accumulate over time. If we invest Shs1 Trillion this year, next year we should have more than that,” Prof. Suruma said.

The Chancellor Emeritus as such, called for the establishment of an institution that can trace where the PDM funds are being invested so that this money is treated as an investment and not consumption.

Minister for Local Government Hon Raphael Magyezi however, assured Prof Suruma and the audience that implementation of the PDM program is highly monitored and leakages are extremely minimal. This, he said, was because the government decided to digitalize payments of the PDM money directly from the Treasury to the parish-based SACCOs. Furthermore, he noted that Government has put in place the PDM Management Information System (MIS) in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasis on data for development.

The dignitaries during a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe at his office. Level 4, Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
The dignitaries during a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe at his office.

“We have developed our own Management Information System so that we know which household is actually in subsistence, and we have parameters for that, and we are able to monitor and evaluate our programme based on a tracker system” Hon. Magyezi explained.

The Minister further noted that PDM targets 8.9 million households in Uganda, 39% (3.4 million) of which are still engaged in subsistence, with 1 million of these reached so far. He admitted although the PDM still has its work cut out, the Government is proud of the progress so far. Hon. Magyezi shared that Uganda has 145 establishments at the level of Local Council 5 consisting of 135 Districts and 10 Cities, 2,284 Sub-Counties to supervise the parishes and under the parishes, 70,626 villages.

The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja who was Chief Guest at the lecture shared that PDM is the Government of Uganda’s second key strategy for accelerating the SDGs and commended the Model as a “comprehensive strategy to uplift the incomes and welfare of all Ugandans.” The first key strategy is Leveraging Innovative Financing Mechanisms, while the third is putting more focus on Science, Technology and Innovation.

Hon. Raphael Magyezi makes his remarks. High-Level Policy Dialogue organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), National Planning Authority and Makerere University on the theme “Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals through leveraging Innovating Financing, the Parish Development Model, and Science and Technology”, Keynote address by Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, 28th February 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Hon. Raphael Magyezi makes his remarks.

Rt. Hon. Nabbanja highlighted the government’s commitment to harnessing the power of research and innovation to provide a strong foundation to advance the digital agenda. She added that the PDM Laboratory at Makerere gives the University an opportunity to amplify and support efficiency and effectiveness of the programme’s implementation.

“Therefore, the PDM Laboratory should continue to be a platform for 1) Distilling and providing additional insights, 2) Commissioning further research and enquiry on the basis of information provided by the technical units and feedback and 3) Analyse feedback to test out policies and operational issues for Cabinet to take action” remarked the Prime Minister.

She informed the audience that Prof. Jeffrey Sachs is leading similar efforts with a lab at Columbia University and urged the leadership of Makerere University to establish a collaboration with Columbia University, “and I’m sure Prof. Sachs is much willing to support this”.

Left to Right: Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, H.E. Nwanneakolam Vwede-Obahor and Prof. Jeffrey Sachs. High-Level Policy Dialogue organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), National Planning Authority and Makerere University on the theme “Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals through leveraging Innovating Financing, the Parish Development Model, and Science and Technology”, Keynote address by Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, 28th February 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Left to Right: Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, H.E. Nwanneakolam Vwede-Obahor and Prof. Jeffrey Sachs.

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, a world-renowned Economist, leader in sustainable development, and senior UN advisor delivered a keynote address in which he expressed optimism about development prospects on the African continent.

The prolific economist and author, projected that Africa would take off and become a global economic force in the next 40 years if it could find ways of uniting into a single economic block.

Citing China and India Prof. Sachs advised the government to set targets and also set instruments to help achieve these targets, if the country is to achieve the SDGs. The simple idea of “targets and instruments” was developed by Nobel Prize Laureate Jan Tinbergen. Tinbergen was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Economics in 1969 together with Ragnar Frisch.

Prof. Sachs defined Sustainable Development as the result of achieving four difficult objectives namely; Material wellbeing for everybody, Social inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, and Peace and Cooperation. He nevertheless shared that these can be achieved by Tinbergen’s “targets and instruments” idea.

He advised Uganda to copy China and invest in six major types of capital namely; Education, Infrastructure, Massive Interconnected Infrastructure, Protecting Natural Capital such as clean energy sources, Intellectual/Science and Technology Capital as well as Business Capital.  On financing, he advised the government to find flexible and low interest financing with 40 year maturity if it is for sectors such as education.

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs (Left) and Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (Right) shake hands during the courtesy call. High-Level Policy Dialogue organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), National Planning Authority and Makerere University on the theme “Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals through leveraging Innovating Financing, the Parish Development Model, and Science and Technology”, Keynote address by Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, 28th February 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Jeffrey Sachs (Left) and Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (Right) shake hands during the courtesy call.

“What I want to promise you, though I can’t give you the final answer for that part of innovative financing, we are going to get it done. Uganda is going to show a strong NDP IV, it is going to show a very robust plan to achieve rapid growth over the next 40 years, it is going to show that that rapid growth easily repays any long-term low-interest loans that have taken to achieve that, it is going to make the case that the Parish Development Model proves the last mile in an ingenious way, and that institutionally this country is poised for the breakthrough that we are talking about at the regional, national and local level” Prof. Sachs summed up.  

In her remarks, Ms. Nwanneakolam Vwede-Obahor, the UNDP Resident Representative warned of Uganda’s widening development financing gap, standing currently at 33 trillion shillings (US$ 8.8 billion) annually. 

“Traditional financing sources such as domestic taxes, Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), concessional loans from external partners, borrowing from the domestic market and foreign direct investment are not enough to finance the SDGs,” she said.

H.E. Nwanneakolam Vwede-Obahor addresses the High-Level Dialogue. High-Level Policy Dialogue organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), National Planning Authority and Makerere University on the theme “Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals through leveraging Innovating Financing, the Parish Development Model, and Science and Technology”, Keynote address by Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, 28th February 2024, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
H.E. Nwanneakolam Vwede-Obahor addresses the High-Level Dialogue.

“Uganda must explore alternative avenues to secure affordable and flexible financing to drive the development phase in the next seven years. This will involve continuous alignment of the budget allocations and development plans with SDG priorities, diversifying funding sources, including public-private partnerships and unlocking new innovative financing models, and enhancing financial resilience.”

The dignitaries, accompanied by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, toured the state-of-the-art Innovation Pod, which is poised to drive innovation and research in the country. In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor said that Makerere remains focused on implementing strategies and programmes under SDG 4 which emphasizes Quality Education. “I am therefore pleased that today, as we continue the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, Makerere University is on board hosting Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, the Office of the Prime Minister, National Planning Authority, UNDP, and a number of stakeholders to enhance the discussion on leveraging innovative financing, the parish development model and science and technology.”

Prof. Nawangwe shared with the audience, Makerere’s readiness to contribute to the success of the PDM, citing the role of the PDM Policy lab headed by Prof. Eria Hisali.  The PDM Policy lab conducted capacity building to sensitise low-income earners about government programs and how they can utilize the funds to improve their standards of living. The lab continues to undertake research on how to effectively implement PDM. The Vice Chancellor equally shared Makerere University’s commitment to undertaking research and programmes aimed at ensuring that health becomes a priority on the global agenda through the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health (CESH). Established in partnership with the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, CESH’s core activities include; Capacity development and Education, Tools and resources, Networks and partnerships, and Research.

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Vice Chancellor Updates Media on Medical Drones, Road Safety Research & Various Issues

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Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi (Centre) with Dr. Andrew Kambugu (Left) and Dr. Fredrick Oporia (Right) at the Press Briefing on 29th May 2025. Press Conference featuring Infectious Diseases Institute—the IDI Medical Drone Programme and Kampala Status Summary 2023 on Road Safety Risk Factors, conducted under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety. This collaborative effort between the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit and our Trauma, Injury, and Disability Unit (TRIAD) Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), Senior Common Room, Main Builing, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi on Thursday 29th May, 2025 held a press conference to update members of the Media on the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Medical Drone Programme, and the Kampala Status Summary 2023 on Road Safety Risk Factors, conducted under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety, a collaborative effort between the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit and the Trauma, Injury, and Disability (TRIAD) Unit at Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH). Also presented were updates on; Digital Certification of Academic Transcripts, Digital Supervision of Graduate Students, Inclusive e-Learning and Smart Classrooms, and Launch of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Laboratory at the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS).

The event held in the Senior Common Room, Main Building, was on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe presided over by the Acting (Ag.) DVC AA and substantive Academic Registrar, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi. Presentations were made by Executive Director of the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Dr. Andrew Kambugu and Head of the Trauma, Injuries, and Disability (TRIAD) Unit, Dr. Fredrick Oporia. Dr. Jimmy Osuret and Dr. Esther Bayiga from TRIAD supplemented Dr. Oporia’s presentation. In attendance were; the Director for ICT Support (DICTS)-Mr. Samuel Mugabi, Deputy Chief – Public Relations-Ms. Betty Kyakuwa, Deputy Chief Security Officer-Mr. Musa Mulindwa and other university officials.

The proceedings of the Press Conference follow below;

Vice Chancellors’ Press Statement

Good morning colleagues, members of the press,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this important media briefing, where we share compelling findings from two groundbreaking studies that reflect Makerere University‘s ongoing commitment to impactful research, innovation, and community transformation.

The first is a pioneering initiative led by the Infectious Diseases Institute—the IDI Medical Drone Programme. This project explores the use of drone technology to deliver lifesaving HIV medications and test samples to hard-to-reach populations, particularly in Kalangala District and the West Nile region. The study demonstrates how drones can overcome logistical barriers, reduce costs, and enhance access to critical healthcare in some of Uganda’s most underserved communities.

The second study is the Kampala Status Summary 2023 on Road Safety Risk Factors, conducted under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety. This collaborative effort between the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit and our Trauma, Injury, and Disability Unit here at Makerere University presents over two years of data on vehicle speed and helmet use in Kampala. It provides vital insights into the human behaviours and systemic gaps contributing to road traffic injuries and fatalities—particularly among vulnerable road users. The study also offers evidence-based recommendations for enforcement, planning, and public health messaging aimed at making Kampala’s roads safer for all.

We are proud to support this kind of research that not only advances knowledge but also drives tangible improvements in public health and safety.

Before I invite the researchers to present their findings, allow me to briefly highlight some transformative developments in the areas of academic registry and ICT advancement here at Makerere University:

  1. Digital Certification of Academic Transcripts:
    • Alumni can now certify their transcripts digitally through the Makerere Academic Records System (Mak-ARS https://makars.mak.ac.ug/), eliminating the need for physical visits. This user-friendly platform allows access from anywhere in the world, supported by comprehensive video tutorials and public communications.
  2. Digital Supervision of Graduate Students
    • We have introduced the Research Information Management System (Mak-RIMS), piloted at the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, to streamline the supervision of Master’s and PhD research. This initiative enhances accountability, timely feedback, and is now being rolled out university-wide to improve graduation rates.
  3. Inclusive eLearning and Smart Classrooms
    • Through support from development partners and the Government of Uganda, we are establishing multimedia studios and smart classrooms across our colleges. These state-of-the-art facilities are designed to produce professional, accessible learning content, including tools tailored for students with visual and auditory disabilities. This aligns with our goal of equitable, globally competitive education.
  4. Launch of the AI Laboratory at CoCIS:
    • The newly launched Artificial Intelligence Laboratory will spearhead the development of AI-enabled solutions tailored to Uganda’s socio-economic needs, including localized assistive eLearning tools and context-sensitive curriculum development.

These initiatives are part of our broader vision to transform Makerere University into a research-led, inclusive, and globally relevant institution.

Detailed Presentations

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Prof. Aina Visits Mak, Evaluates CECAP II Progress

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Prof. Omotade Akin Aina (Left) receives the Makerere Souvenir Book from Prof. Tonny Oyana as Prof. Julius Kikooma (2nd Right) and Mr. Charles Lwanga (Right) witness. Prof. Omotade Akin Aina-Carnegie Corporation of New York meeting to discuss progress of Consolidating Early Career Academics Programme (CECAP) phase II, which focuses on fostering academic development and research among early-career academics, 23rd May 2025, Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Senior Program Director, Higher Education and Research in Africa, International Program, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Prof. Omotade Akin Aina on 23rd May 2025 visited Makerere University during his short trip to Kampala. Prof. Aina was received on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe by Prof. Tony Oyana, Principal of the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS).

During his visit, Prof. Aina met with the Project Implementation Committee, representatives from the Consolidating Early Career Academics Programme (CECAP) phase I Fellowship Cohort, and current Fellows of phase II. The meeting discussed the progress of CECAP II, which focuses on fostering academic development and research among early-career academics.

Left to Ritght: Dr. Jesca Nakavuma and Prof. Julius Kikooma alongside Prof. Omotade Akin Aina during the meeting. Prof. Omotade Akin Aina-Carnegie Corporation of New York meeting to discuss progress of Consolidating Early Career Academics Programme (CECAP) phase II, which focuses on fostering academic development and research among early-career academics, 23rd May 2025, Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Left to Ritght: Dr. Jesca Nakavuma and Prof. Julius Kikooma alongside Prof. Omotade Akin Aina during the meeting.

CECAP II is being implemented by Makerere University in collaboration with four other Ugandan public universities, including; Busitema University, Gulu University, Kyambogo University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology. Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza, the Project Principal Investigator was represented at the meeting by the Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma.

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Directorate of Graduate Equips Schools and Colleges with Training in Philosophy of Methods

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By Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training at Makerere University has equipped several Senior ranking lecturers with expert knowledge in a Training of Trainers’ workshop on “Philosophy of Methods”.

In his remarks at the opening of a 3-day training workshop at Level4 Conference Hall – Senate Building, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “The teaching of Philosophy of Methods gives all participants the fundamentals to extend knowledge to other learners, hence its importance in upholding the Makerere University values.”

Kikooma urged and challenged the participants to also attend and actively participate in the follow up of learners’ training of students, stating that the PhD students need support as the directorate continues to coordinate the curriculum of PhD by-research that was approved by the senate recently.

“To holistically implement the senate approved PhD curriculum, we are coordinating capacity building trainings of all stake holders in a structured approach with the different units of the University. Many more trainings including Training of Trainers in advanced research methods course are on the way.”

He further urged the participants to be intentional in their teaching profession and in whatever they were doing, adding “Apart from focusing on practices as teachers and researchers, we can engage in wider philosophical debates in our research areas so that we are relevant in the society and in the empowerment of PhD research students.”

 The participants for the Philosophy of Methods training were from College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University Business School among others.

During the same training, Dr. Dickson Kanakulya stressed the need to train senior lecturers in the Philosophy of Methods, saying, “The biggest connection is that societal problems require concrete research to find solutions. Our challenge in Africa is that we employ a short barrow approach to find solutions to problems. This cannot work. We need consistent researchers to solve problems. Lasting solutions to societal issues can only be got through training such as Philosophy of Methods, where researchers come up with new models for societal solutions.”

Prof. Julius Kikooma pose for a photo with participants and facilitators.

Dr. Kanakulya said that Makerere University remains the biggest research University in Africa and philosophy of Methods helps to come up with good research tools that produce good research outputs. “Research has shown that the higher the number of PhD researchers in any given country, the higher the levels of development of that country e.g. the USA, China etc., adding that research is not limited to only medicinal or agricultural related issues.”

He said philosophy of methods, encourages philosophical creativity in research, “It is meant to bring out philosophical generation of concepts, theories and ideas. It is meant to encourage students to question the existing philosophical assumptions and status quo in a given field of knowledge such that new philosophical concepts are created.”

 For successful rollout of government programs like the National Development Plan 4, Dr. Kanakulya said that Philosophy of Methods training needs to be integrated into such systems. “Philosophy of Methods focuses on ethical thinking aspects. For example, for a better rollout of the Parish Development Model, we need implementers to be ethical.” He added.

 Prof. Sulait Tumwiine, the associate Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at MUBS said, “This is a discussion where new ideas are shared to guide and gauge applicability in the current knowledge diversity coupled with lots of technological development including Artificial Intelligence and Chat GPT.”

He added, “As professors of Universities, we need to understand how we leverage on what comes up so that it does not take our space, but also appreciate how we can support growth of knowledge. The Philosophy of Methods training is the answer.”

 Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo highlighted that Philosophy uses more of the critical mind than Science. He added that philosophy is more of speculation of the mind.

“Sustainability of philosophy Education encourages us to continue training. Philosophy being the oldest discipline retained special status in the academia as a pinnacle of pursuit of knowledge. All disciplines have major elements of philosophy citing examples in the philosophy of Mathematics and Physics.

Dr. Spire added, “If you do not understand philosophy, you cannot deeply investigate anything because philosophy is the reality of understanding everything. Philosophy is the basis of understanding what knowledge is and how it is arrived at.”

Also participating in the workshop was Prof. Joseph Ntaayi from MUBS, in his remarks he said PhD students need the philosophy of methods training to understand how to best to create knowledge. He added that ontological and epistemological questions that lead to good research design methods can only be answered by this training.

Dr. Robert Kakuru, a Lecturer in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences said that the Philosophy of Methods training is needed by every graduate student as well as supervisors to critically determine the choice of methods to use in academic research. For example, “If one wants to use a questionnaire as an interview approach, one should understand, why that approach and yet without this training, the why cannot be answered.” He added.

The Philosophy of Methods training was organized by Directorate of Graduate Training with funding support from the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA).

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