Humanities & Social Sciences
CHUSS Bursar Ms. Joseline Biganja Hands Over Office
Ms. Joseline Biganja, the outgoing Bursar of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) at Makerere University, officially handed over her responsibilities to Mr. Michael Mbaine, previously the head of student halls, in a ceremony held on August 6, 2024.
The handover followed a transfer letter received by Ms. Biganja on August 2, 2024, reassigning her to the University Hospital after four years of service at CHUSS from August 2021 to August 2024.
Presiding over the ceremony, Principal CHUSS Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala acknowledged Ms. Biganja’s contributions, describing the event as a takeover and pledging to organize a proper send-off at a later date. “I found two letters on my table. I am told this is a normal reshuffle and other units had similar changes. If it is the system, we move and serve where we have been deployed,” Prof. Nkabala remarked.
Nkabala welcomed Mr. Mbaine, emphasizing the collaborative and friendly environment at CHUSS. “In CHUSS, we are friendly, we work together for the good of the community. This is the mother of all disciplines”, The Principal remarked.
The ceremony was attended by the University Internal Auditor, Winnie Mbabazi, alongside college management and administrative staff.
Reflecting on her tenure, Ms. Biganja expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve at CHUSS. “I want to thank God for the opportunity that He has given me to serve in CHUSS. It has been a good working relationship, and I must say that I have enjoyed the interaction with everyone in this college. We have met, worked together, and where things were not right, I believe it was not intended. I have truly enjoyed the working relationship,” she said.
Ms. Biganja added, “I take these changes as ministry because I am a believer. When I am called to a certain place, I believe it is not only man but God who wants me to go there. So, I believe God has seen that I have done what I am supposed to in CHUSS, and it is time to move on. I thank Him that He has used me, and we have achieved what we managed to achieve with the available funds and resources.”
In her handover report, Ms. Biganja outlined her responsibilities and contributions, including initiating the construction of a ramp for students with disabilities, building repairs across various college buildings, and outlining the college budgets, work plans, and procurement plans for FY 2024-2025.
Incoming Bursar Mr. Michael Mbaine thanked Ms. Biganja for her efforts and achievements. “I understand that CHUSS is one of the largest units in terms of activities and especially the operations of the finance department. I thank Joseline for her work and pledge to work closely with the finance staff to support the college’s operations effectively,” he stated.
The handover ceremony marked the beginning of a new chapter for both the outgoing and incoming bursars, with Ms. Biganja moving to a new role at the University Hospital and Mr. Mbaine stepping into his new responsibilities at CHUSS.
Representing the Deputy Principal, the Dean School of Psychology Dr. Martin Baluku appreciated the outgoing Bursar for the job well done.
“I have not had any problem with Joseline and we appreciate the services rendered. You have served and it is time to move on. CHUSS is always home, don’t forget”.
To the incoming Bursar, Dr. Baluku urged Mr. Mbaine to feel good on reason that CHUSS is the place to be.
By Okeya John and Primrose Nabankema
The intensive one-month course, running for the first time from June 5 to July 24, 2025, is jointly offered by Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH)’s Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences (CHBS) and the Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) at the School of Languages, Literature, and Communication (SLLC), co-designed in 2024 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation through Amref Health Africa.
It seeks to equip healthcare providers at the community level, public health and environmental health practitioners, communication specialists, health educators, community development officers, social scientists, and policy makers, among others, with strategic communication skills to improve public health messaging, strengthen community engagement, and support evidence-based interventions, ultimately empowering participants to effectively engage communities and improve population health outcomes across Uganda and the region.
Launching the course, the heads of the Department of Journalism and Communication and the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences noted that participants who complete the short course will gain practical tools to influence behaviour change, build trust, and deliver timely, accurate, and relevant health information to the communities they serve. The first cohort attracted more than 60 applicants, with 36 reporting for the opening in-person session on June 5, 2025, at MakSPH in Mulago. Between now and July, participants will undergo a hands-on, multidisciplinary learning experience within the Certificate in Health Communication and Community Engagement program, which combines theory and practice.
Among the participants in the first cohort of the certificate course, designed as a pilot for the anticipated Master of Health Promotion and Communication to be jointly offered by the two departments at Makerere University, is Ms. Maureen Kisaakye, a medical laboratory technologist specialising in microbiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and currently pursuing a Master’s in Immunology and Clinical Microbiology at Makerere. She is driven by a passion to help reverse the rising tide of AMR, a growing global health threat where drugs that once worked are no longer effective. Kisaakye is particularly concerned about common infections, like urinary tract infections, becoming increasingly resistant and harder to treat.
“I enrolled in this course because I’m an advocate against antimicrobial resistance, and it came at a time when I needed to deepen my knowledge on how to implement our projects more effectively and engage with communities. The experience has broadened my understanding of AMR and its impact on society, and strengthened my passion for community-driven health initiatives and advocacy,” Kisaakye said, explaining why she enrolled for the short course.
Kisaakye’s work in antimicrobial resistance extends beyond the lab. Having earned her degree in medical laboratory science from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, she founded Impala Tech Research in 2024 to drive impact and save lives. She has led grassroots AMR campaigns that integrate antimicrobial stewardship with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education in underserved urban communities, including the informal settlements in Kampala. She also has since designed peer-led initiatives that empower university students as AMR Champions, building a network of informed youth advocates. Kisaakye believes the health communication course will sharpen her ability to design and deliver impactful, community-centred interventions in response to the growing threat of drug resistance.
“The department collaborates with many partners within and beyond the University, including the School of Public Health, where we are working to develop the subfield of health communication and promotion. Our goal is to train specialists in this area and build a community of practice, something we have each been doing in our own spaces. There’s a lot of work ahead, and COVID-19 showed us just how urgently we need a generation trained to do this kind of work, and to do it very well,” said Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, during the opening of the short course on June 5.
She assured participants they were in good hands and underscored the importance of the partnership between the Department of Journalism and Communication and the School of Public Health, describing it as a vital collaboration that brings together strategic communication and public health expertise. This dynamic, multidisciplinary approach, she noted, is essential to developing practical solutions that empower communities, strengthen health systems, and ultimately improve livelihoods.
The course offers a hands-on, multidisciplinary learning experience, with participants intended to explore key modules including Health Communication and Promotion, Risk Communication, Smart Advocacy, Community Mapping, Community Mobilisation and Empowerment, and Strategies for Community Engagement. The course combines theory with real-world application, and its assessment includes a field-based project and a final exam.
“You are our first cohort. We are seeing the fruits of our efforts in bringing this short course to life. It was born out of a joint initiative to develop a Master’s programme in Health Promotion and Communication,” said Dr. Christine Nalwadda, Head of the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences. “We carried out extensive consultations with our different key stakeholders during the process and discovered a real need for such a course. It was the stakeholders who even named it; this course name didn’t come from us.”
For Kisaakye, by the end of the course in July, she hopes to have sharpened her skills in health promotion and strategic communication, particularly in crafting targeted messages that help individuals and communities effectively respond to threats such as antimicrobial resistance. She also aims to gain practical experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating community health initiatives that can strengthen her advocacy and drive lasting impact.
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