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In Memory and Honor of Professor John Tuhe Kakitahi’s illustrious legacy | 16-02-1940 to 15-05-2024
Published
2 years agoon
By
Mak Editor
Professor John Tuhe Kakitahi, a luminary in the field of public health nutrition has left an indelible mark on the landscape of healthcare in Uganda and beyond. At the age of 84, Professor Kakitahi was called to heaven this morning at Mulago Hospital.
Today, we celebrate a man who from his early career years, demonstrated exceptional intellect, clinical acumen, passion and complete dedication to combating hunger, malnutrition and human suffering. Throughout his tenure at Institute of Public Health (IPH), Dr. Kakitahi’s contributions were manifold. He in addition to teaching and mentorship conducted field investigations and community outreaches to improve human nutrition and maternal-child health. Kakitahi’s contribution and influence in nutrition transcended borders, as he represented Uganda with distinction at various international forums.
As a lecturer and public health nutritionist, Prof. Kakitahi established and headed Mwana mugimu nutrition center in Mulago hospital in the 1990s. Mwanamujimu became pivotal in treating kwashiorkor aided by support from Rotary International. He later established additional nutritional units and sites throughout Uganda.
In 2008, he served as Deputy Principal of the Makerere University College of Health Sciences.

But Who was Kakitahi?
Prof. John Tuhe Kakitahi was born on February 16, 1940. His university appointment came in March 1973. Now, picture Dr. Kakitahi as a hardworking, intellectual house surgeon with clinical acumen who was a good clinician, pediatrician, researcher, and nutritionist. In the early years of his career at the Department of Preventive Medicine, he collaborated with individuals such as the late Prof. Suleiman Jabir Farsey and Professor Joseph Sekyala Winter Lutwama (RIP), who was the first African to hold the title of Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine. The individuals he collaborated with provided an accurate portrayal of his character.
From 1948 until 1958, Dr. Kakitahi studied primary education at Kigezi High School. He studied Secondary O’Level at Busoga College Mwiri from 1957 to 1961 and ‘A’ level at Kings College Budo from 1962 to 1963. In 1964, he attended Makerere University and earned an MBChB in 1970.
Kakitahi was Senior Casualty Officer in New Mulago Hospital’s Casualty Department for 1.5 years before enrolling in IPH’s Diploma Course in Public Health. He managed department operations and provided emergency patient treatment. The Senior House Officer position at Mulago Hospital was Dr. Kakitahi’s first job after his internship. For 1.5 years, he oversaw casualty department patient care and administration. He also managed the Nurses Health Unit for a similar time, exhibiting his healthcare administration versatility and dedication.
Kakitahi also ran a Nutritional Rehabilitation Clinic at Kasangati Health Centre, providing critical services to the community. He also helped the Pediatrics Department in managing the Old Mulago Hospital’s Nutrition Ward. He intensively treated acutely malnourished children, contributing significantly to their care and recovery.
In 1968-1969, he worked in the Lymphoma treatment center and Solid Tumor Centre during school breaks. He took part in research on chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients as well.
Using his medical background, he joined the Institute of Public Health (IPH) in 1972 and earned a Diploma in Public Health in 1973.
In 1973, he joined Makerere University Service as an IPH Lecturer. He passionately taught human nutrition to undergraduate and postgraduate students, particularly Diploma in Public Health students, as part of the Maternal Child Health and Nutrition teaching programme. His focus was on MCH field investigations, particularly the Ankole PPP.
On July 1, 1977, Dr. Kakitahi became a senior lecturer. Later, for 45 days, Dr. Kakitahi replaced Dr. Kakande as IPH director on June 22, 1987. He was sitting in for the then director, Professor Namboze, who was on a special assignment for the Health Policy Review Commission. On August 1, 1984, he was appointed as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Public Health. On September 18, 1989, Dr. Kakitahi assumed the position of Head of the Institute of Public Health for a two-year term.
Dr. Kakitahi’s remarkable journey is interwoven with stories of dedication, expertise, and significant impact. As a young medical practitioner, he worked as a Medical Officer at Makerere Students Health Centre for several months in 1973, shortly after being hired as a Lecturer at IPH, where he laid the groundwork for the transformation of the then-Sickbay into the current University Hospital. Dr. Kakitahi pursued excellence by finishing his MSc in Nutrition at Cambridge on a WHO scholarship from 1974 to 1976. His abilities and commitment made him a well-known member of the Uganda Medical Association and the British Nutrition Society, both of which promote health locally and globally.
In 1977, he successfully represented Uganda at the 27th WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo. This was the first of several significant appointments, including leading the Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit in 1980 and representing Uganda at international gatherings such as the Inter-Country Nutrition Workshop in Gaborone, Botswana, and the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Accra, Ghana, and Libreville, Gabon.
In May 1985, he accompanied the Minister of Health to the 38th World Health Assembly, where Uganda demonstrated its commitment to global health and nutrition programmes. In 1991, he organised Kampala’s first public discussion on Urban Health, Environment, and Health, solidifying his reputation as a community and occupational health visionary.
Throughout his career, Dr. Kakitahi provided expert consultancy services to the Food and Agriculture Organization and participated in numerous nutrition review missions aimed at combating hunger and malnutrition. These missions, organized by WHO, UNICEF, and other organizations, took place in countries such as Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Seychelles, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Lesotho as part of the Nutrition and Human Resources for Health Mission.
Dr. Kakitahi and his Role in Establishing the Mwana mugimu nutrition center
Mwana mugimu nutrition center was set up with support from Rotary International. Rotary International recognized it as the best nutritional unit in the East African region, and was related to the Save the Children Fund, which provided administrative and financial support. This support in the 1990s led to the establishment of similar nutritional units and sites throughout the country. Later, Princess Royal Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise visited the programme and recognised it as a successful Save the Children programme.
Mwanamugimu has its roots in a Luganda proverb (Mwanamugimu ava ku ngozi) that means “A healthy child comes from a healthy mother.”
In Uganda in the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. John Kakitahi led nutritional work. After treating children for severe acute malnutrition without success, Dr. Kakitahi, like many Ugandan doctors, became passionate about prevention. Kakitahi, like Prof. Namboze, left pediatrics early to study public health at the Makerere University Institute of Public Health, now known as the School of Public Health. When Amin’s repression and violence against Ugandans escalated in 1973, they recruited Kakitahi as a lecturer, and he took over the MRC Unit after Roger Whitehead and Paget Stanfield left.
Whitehead, the MRC’s senior scientist under Dean Stanfield, was instrumental in Mwanamugimu and its extension to the Luteete Health Center. Whitehead and other MRC Unit researchers were first skeptical of the Mwanamugimu program, but its public health ethic shaped their thinking and approach.
Whitehead and Stanfield, codirectors of the unit, initiated a research program to reframe nutrition as a science and practice of health promotion, influenced by Mwanamugimu’s hybrid public health model.
They renamed the MRC facility the Child Nutrition Unit, omitting “infantile” and “malnutrition,” and announced a longitudinal nutritional health study for rural village children during the unit’s extension opening on July 17, 1969, by the then-Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. S. W. Uringi.
Kakitahi struggled to run the unit without knowing the study program or how to get basic biochemical test reagents. Few medical supplies and the difficulties of fixing equipment and getting replacement parts prevented the MRC from continuing to operate as a research institution. Whitehead and the Dunn Nutrition Unit at Cambridge (which Whitehead then directed) helped Kakitahi travel abroad for nutrition training, escape the rising violence temporarily. After finishing his training in 1976, Kakitahi “plucked some courage and came back” to Uganda and took over the Mwanamugimu Unit.
Kakitahi kept the unit running with his personal vehicle and what he could spare from his increasingly meager salary, and he and Latimer Musoke, who had taken over as Chair of Pediatrics after Stanfield’s departure, launched a program to train public health workers and extend the Mwanamugimu program’s preventive promise to rural areas.
Kakitahi’s return from Cambridge coincided with the huge increase in violence when Israel attacked Uganda’s main airport at Entebbe. A Tel Aviv-Paris flight was hijacked in June 1976 and diverted to Entebbe with Amin’s consent. In a predawn raid a week later, Israeli forces rescued the hostages and killed the hijackers and twenty of Amin’s men.
Mwanamugimu promoted health and welfare in Amin’s Uganda during a medical shortage. The amazing endurance of the Mwanamugimu initiative illustrates what is often lost in simplistic stereotypes depicting Africa as a continent in crisis. Mwanamugimu’s growth throughout Uganda’s darkest hour demonstrates the need of long-term public health programming and biomedical knowledge. Musoke and Kakitahi were graduates of East Africa’s top medical and educational schools and were able to use their skills to do well in their periods of uncertainty. Kakitahi was one of a generation of medical students trained to increase Ugandan physician population. Mwanamugimu’s modest infrastructure, technology, and a flexible framework made it a local program that could survive resource constraints.
Kakitahi and his colleagues, in collaboration with village health workers, also known as “Ssalango,” conducted door-to-door visits in a specific area to provide community members with information, support, and essential medical care. Ssalango, who commenced working at the Luteete Health Centre in 1978, stated that one of their primary responsibilities was to identify children exhibiting stunted growth. Ssalango and other community health experts educated mothers and guardians on malnutrition and how to assess nutritional status using arm circumference. Similar to the significant women who received training at Mwanamugimu, they instructed individuals on how to prepare kitobero in their own homes using ingredients that were readily available and commonly used in their daily meals. In addition to this early intervention, community health workers were in a favourable position to do follow-up visits to prevent slightly malnourished children from progressing towards “kwashiorkor.”
Kakitahi and Latimer Musoke showed what long-term infrastructure and knowledge can do by expanding on prior public health programming and medical services. Kakitahi revitalized Mwanamugimu and expanded the nutrition scout program after Amin. Funding was needed to rebuild facilities, restore the Nutrition Rehabilitation Program, and boost outreach. In 1983, Rotary International awarded Kakitahi a $245,000 “Health, Hunger and Humanity” grant to reinstate all parts of the central Mwanamugimu Unit in Mulago, including medical training, and begin the “second phase.” The second phase revived nutritional initiatives at Kayunga, Luteete, and Kasangati satellites. It was projected they served 650,000 people by 1984.
Kakitahi then established outreach initiatives at health centers in Mbale, Jinja, Bugembe, Kitovu, Ibanda, Kabale, Kisoro, and Gulu, which required an intermediate owing to Northern insecurity. Mwanamugimu Nutrition Services, a national program founded by Kakitahi, was based on these eleven satellites.
Kakitahi envisioned a public health programme to boost the health of a new national population. A Rotary International delegation visited Uganda in 1985 and was so impressed with the program and its local reception that the organization made a rare exception to their one-time financing policy. Kakitahi assumed this was Rotary International’s last grant and stretched this second disbursement over three years. After Rotary International returned in 1987, another exception and grant were provided, bringing the total support to $980,000 from 1983 to 1992.50 Despite political turmoil, Kakitahi restored and expanded Mwanamugimu Nutrition Services.
Kakitahi, who had been trying to expand Mwanamugimu nutrition programs to remote regions, became “frustrated” when he could no longer secure funds in the early 1990s due to the IMF and World Bank’s Structural Adjustment Policies (SAPs). After realizing he “didn’t have any money to continue,” WHO colleagues urged Kakitahi to create a health worker training program for newly independent Namibia. Uganda’s nutritional programming changed when Kakitahi left in dissatisfaction over structural adjustment’s lack of resources.
According to several observers, Ugandans regarded their national health system as “the demoralization of health workers” since many left when structural transformation proved difficult. Through Amin and the Bush War, Kakitahi stayed in Uganda.
Jennifer Tappan, a historian of Global Health in Africa and author of The Riddle of Malnutrition: The Long Arc of Biomedical and Public Health, calls John Kakitahi and his colleagues, Latimer Musoke, Ssalango, and Gladys Stokes, “awe-inspiring.”
Because of biomedical knowledge, competence, and infrastructure—the underpinnings of a national health system—Mwanamugimu survived. Thus, Mwanamugimu could become a fully local project, which, along with its clear worth, explains its amazing resilience.
Professor Tappan notes that “Kakitahi, his colleagues, and the influencers who kept Mwanamugimu alive illustrate the return on long-term investments in national systems of medical provision, which can then serve as the foundation for flexible and resilient public health programming, programming that can promote health and wellbeing in ways that increase rather than undermine sovereignty and the right to health that all people deserve.”
Compiled by Communications Office -MakSPH
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Makerere Hosts Transformative Careers Fair, Bridging Students to the Future of Work
Published
12 hours agoon
March 17, 2026
The grounds of Makerere University came alive with energy and ambition as students, graduates, and industry leaders gathered for the 2026 Makerere Careers Fair, an engagement that continues to cement the University’s role as a bridge between academic training and the realities of the modern workplace.
Held in partnership with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) as part of the wider NSSF Career Expo, and the US-Mission Uganda, the three-day event created a vibrant space where conversations about careers moved beyond theory into lived, practical experience. The Yusuf Lule, Central Teaching Facility, Auditorium, the Freedom Square and exhibition spaces transformed into arenas of exchange, where students interacted directly with employers, asked difficult questions about their futures, and began to map out their professional journeys with greater clarity.
At the heart of this year’s engagement on day one, 11th March, 2026, was a theme that resonated deeply with a generation stepping into uncertainty: “Man or Machine: Exploring AI’s Impact on Careers.” Across panel discussions and keynote sessions, speakers challenged students to confront the realities of a rapidly shifting job market. The message was consistent: technology is not simply displacing jobs; it is reshaping them, demanding a workforce that is adaptable, digitally fluent, and grounded in distinctly human skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.
Day Two, 12th March, 2026, led by the United States Mission to Uganda, shifted the focus to global opportunities, equipping students with practical guidance on U.S. university applications, scholarships, and visa processes, as well as fully funded fellowships they can apply for. Through direct engagement with credible experts, students gained clarity on navigating international academic pathways and positioning themselves competitively beyond national borders, expanding the Careers Fair’s scope from local employability to global mobility.

The final day, 13th March 2026, under the theme “Connecting potential to purpose: Partnerships for sustainable impact,” brought together Makerere University and key partners, including Stanbic Bank, Absa Bank Uganda, TotalEnergies Uganda, the Uganda Police, Pslams Food Industries, among others, to emphasise collaboration as the cornerstone of career readiness. The conversations underscored a shared commitment to aligning education with industry needs, demonstrating that sustainable career pathways are built through strong partnerships that connect talent to opportunity in a rapidly evolving world.

What stood out most was not just the content of these conversations, but the way students engaged with them. There was a palpable sense of curiosity and urgency, as young people sought to understand where they fit in a future increasingly defined by automation and innovation. For many, the Careers Fair became more than an event; it was a bridge to internship and graduate trainee opportunities, and to careers whose balls were set rolling. It was a moment of reckoning and possibility.
This transformation was made possible through a strong network of partners whose presence underscored the importance of collaboration in shaping career pathways. NSSF Uganda anchored the engagement with insights into financial planning and long-term security, reframing how young professionals think about work beyond immediate income. Stanbic Bank Uganda brought industry perspective, offering students a clearer understanding of the competencies required to thrive in the financial sector. The United States Mission to Uganda contributed to broadening horizons through knowledge exchange and exposure to global opportunities, while TotalEnergies Uganda highlighted the evolving energy sector landscape and the role of innovation in driving sustainability, among other players.

Together, these partners did more than exhibit; they participated in shaping a narrative about the future of work that is inclusive, dynamic, and grounded in real-world demands.
For Makerere University, the Careers Fair represents more than an annual engagement; it is a reflection of its enduring commitment to preparing students for life beyond the lecture room. By convening diverse actors from academia, industry, and development spaces, the University continues to position itself as a national hub for talent development and thought leadership. It is within these spaces that education becomes truly transformative, where knowledge meets opportunity, and where ambition is matched with access.
Advancing Partnerships for Sustainable Impact
The Careers Fair also speaks directly to Makerere University’s Advancement agenda, which is increasingly focused on building purposeful, long-term partnerships that extend the University’s impact beyond its campus.
Through such engagements, Makerere is intentionally cultivating relationships that create shared value. The presence of industry leaders and development partners is not incidental; it is part of a deliberate strategy to align academic training with market realities while opening up pathways for mentorship, internships, and employment. These collaborations are gradually shaping an ecosystem in which students are not only educated but also actively supported in their transition into the workforce.

What emerges is a model of engagement that moves beyond transactional interactions to something far more meaningful. Partners are not just sponsors or participants; they are co-creators in preparing the next generation of professionals. In turn, Makerere strengthens its position as a trusted partner, one capable of convening, connecting, and contributing to national and global development priorities.
As conversations from the Careers Fair continue to echo across campus, one thing remains clear: the future of work will belong to those prepared to evolve with it. Makerere University, through platforms such as this, is ensuring that its students are not merely observers of change but active participants in shaping it.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.
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Makerere University and Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation Sign MOU to Advance Centre of Excellence for Private Sector Development
Published
13 hours agoon
March 17, 2026
Makerere University and the Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance the Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile Centre of Excellence for Private Sector Development, marking a significant step toward strengthening collaboration between academia, policy actors, and the private sector.
The agreement formalises a strategic partnership aimed at promoting research, policy dialogue, entrepreneurship development, innovation, and knowledge exchange to support Uganda’s economic transformation and the growth of its private sector.
The MoU, which will run for an initial five-year term, brings together Makerere University’s academic and research expertise with the Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation’s commitment to advancing the legacy of the late Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, one of Uganda’s most influential economic reformers and a proud alumnus of the University.
Advancing a Shared Vision for Private Sector Development
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Rt. Hon. Amama Mbabazi, SC, Chairman of the Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation, described the occasion as an important milestone that establishes a purposeful partnership between two institutions committed to knowledge, national development, and the advancement of Uganda’s private sector.
“This is an important occasion because it formalises a partnership between two institutions with a shared commitment to knowledge, to national development, and to the advancement of Uganda’s private sector,” he noted.

Rt. Hon. Mbabazi emphasised that Uganda’s future prosperity will depend on the strength and competitiveness of its private sector and the country’s ability to nurture innovation, entrepreneurship, and sound policy.
According to him, the Centre will provide a practical platform through which research can inform policy, young people can be trained and inspired, partnerships can be built, and innovation can be supported to help enterprise flourish.
“These are not separate concerns,” he said. “They are all part of the same national task: building an economy that creates jobs, expands opportunity, and improves the lives of our people.”
Makerere’s Role in Hosting the Centre
Makerere University will host the Centre of Excellence and support its work through its research capacity, innovation ecosystem, and network of scholars and experts. The University leadership noted that the partnership aligns closely with Makerere’s mission as one of Africa’s leading research universities and its commitment to knowledge-driven development.
In her remarks, Prof. Sarah Ssali noted, “Makerere University is fully committed to hosting, resourcing, and championing the Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile Centre of Excellence, and we look forward to working closely with the Foundation to attract additional partnerships that will strengthen its impact.”

The collaboration will bring together academic excellence and practical engagement with the private sector, positioning the Centre as a national resource for policy research, entrepreneurship development, and dialogue on economic transformation.
She also reaffirmed Makerere’s commitment to working closely with the Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation to attract additional partnerships and funding to strengthen the Centre and expand its impact.
Honouring the Legacy of Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile
Beyond its institutional significance, the establishment of the Centre represents a tribute to the enduring legacy of Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, who served for many years as Governor of the Bank of Uganda and played a central role in shaping Uganda’s economic policy and institutional development.
Governor Mutebile was widely recognised for his intellectual rigour, commitment to sound economic policy, and dedication to building strong institutions that could support sustainable growth and stability.
Through the Centre of Excellence bearing his name, Makerere University and the Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation seek not only to commemorate his contributions but also to continue advancing the values he championed, including policy discipline, intellectual seriousness, and a commitment to national development.

As Rt. Hon. Mbabazi noted that legacy should be understood not merely as remembrance but as meaningful work that benefits future generations. “It is about creating a platform through which research can inform policy, through which young people can be trained and inspired, and through which innovation can be supported,” he said.
A Platform for Ideas, Innovation, and National Development
The Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile Centre of Excellence for Private Sector Development is expected to serve as a hub for research, capacity building, entrepreneurship support, and policy engagement aimed at strengthening Uganda’s private sector and expanding economic opportunity.
By bringing together academia, policymakers, business leaders, and innovators, the Centre will help foster practical solutions to the challenges facing enterprise development while nurturing the next generation of Ugandan entrepreneurs and economic leaders.
Through this partnership, Makerere University and the Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation have taken an important step toward ensuring that Governor Mutebile’s legacy continues to inspire ideas, institutions, and opportunities that contribute to Uganda’s long-term prosperity.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.
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Career Expo 2026 Concludes as Students Gain Industry Insights, Career Guidance, and Networking Opportunities
Published
14 hours agoon
March 17, 2026
The Makerere University Careers Expo 2026 has successfully concluded, offering a wealth of opportunities to students from diverse academic backgrounds. Held from March 11–13, 2026, the three-day event climaxed under the theme “Connecting Potential to Purpose: Partnerships for Sustainable Impact.” It provided a dynamic platform for career guidance, job opportunities, entrepreneurship training, networking, innovation, and insights into evolving workplace dynamics.
Associate Professor Anthony Gidudu, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee, expressed gratitude to sponsors and participants for their support.

“Thank you, Makerere University, for entrusting me with this immense responsibility,” he said, acknowledging the collective effort behind the event’s success.
He encouraged students to fully utilize the opportunities presented at the expo. “Make the most of it,” he urged.
The expo attracted prominent partners, including the Parliament of Uganda and the Uganda Police Force, who offered valuable career insights and opportunities. Gidudu also welcomed Professor Buyinza Mukadasi, the Academic Registrar of Makerere University, recognizing his pivotal role in shaping students’ academic journeys.

On behalf of the University, Professor Buyinza Mukadasi emphasized the significance of the Career Expo 2026.
“This event gives us a chance to support our students in transitioning from the academic world to the world of work,” he noted.
He commended the theme for underscoring the importance of aligning students’ abilities with purpose and societal contribution. Prof. Mukadasi also expressed appreciation to key partners, including the MasterCard Foundation, NSSF, and the Parliament of Uganda, as well as collaborators such as the Makerere University Advancement Office, Stanbic Bank, Old Mutual, DFCU Bank, Uganda Baati, and ABSA.

Reflecting on the role of technology, he noted that artificial intelligence enhances efficiency but does not replace human potential. He urged students to embrace lifelong learning, referencing the well-known assertion that “the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
In his keynote address, Paul Rumanda Rugambwa, Head of Human Resources at the Infectious Diseases Institute, emphasized the importance of aligning potential with purpose.
“Potential is what you have, while purpose is what the world expects from you tomorrow,” he said.

Rugambwa encouraged students to develop transferable skills, seek mentorship, and uphold integrity. He highlighted agility and digital literacy as essential competencies in today’s job market.
“It doesn’t matter what course you are pursuing, you must be digitally literate,” he emphasized.
He also urged students to view their peers as future collaborators, drawing inspiration from global success stories built on partnerships.

The closing session featured a panel discussion with representatives from various organizations who deliberated on key issues across multiple sectors.
Israel Arinaitwe, Head of Personal Banking at Stanbic Bank Uganda, highlighted the bank’s commitment to supporting youth entrepreneurship through targeted initiatives. He noted the availability of internship opportunities, skills training, and the Stanbic Business Incubator, which equips young people with practical business skills. He encouraged students to build financial discipline and relationships early.

On inclusion, Gorretti Byomire, Director of the Disability Research and Learning Centre at Makerere University Business School, emphasized the need for inclusive employment practices for persons with disabilities. She called for stronger commitments from both government and the private sector, including the adoption of employment quotas and incentives. She also underscored the importance of building confidence and resilience among persons with disabilities.

Addressing technology adoption, Fred Percy Kisa, Senior Manager Transformation at NSSF Uganda, urged students to embrace artificial intelligence as a complementary tool.
“It is not machine versus human; it is human plus machine versus human,” he noted, encouraging a focus on critical thinking and problem-solving.
He highlighted the growing global AI economy and called on Africa to strengthen its contribution to research and innovation.

On employment dynamics, Evelyn Kisakye, Placement Officer at the Federation of Uganda Employers, emphasized the importance of flexibility and adaptability in today’s job market. She highlighted initiatives such as the Work Readiness Project, which connects graduates to opportunities in sectors like agriculture and tourism while equipping them with essential soft skills.
Commissioner of Police Anatoli Muleterwa, Head of Community Policing Department, outlined career opportunities within the Uganda Police Force. He noted that the institution accommodates a wide range of professional qualifications and highlighted four entry pathways, from constable to officer level. He encouraged students to prepare for and consider careers in national service.

The Career Expo 2026 concluded with a strong call to action, urging students to harness their potential, embrace innovation, and pursue purpose-driven careers. Participants, predominantly students, left with renewed clarity and direction, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to make meaningful contributions to Uganda’s development.

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