Ag. Vice Chancellor, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi (3rd R) with Left to Right: Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, Prof. Dorothy Okello, Prof. Moses Musinguzi, Canon Goddy Muhanguzi Muhumuza and another official at the handover of equipment by EACREEE on 14th August 2024.
Makerere University on 14th August 2024 received portable lighting test equipment from the East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE), the execution partner of the Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances (EELA) project in East and Southern Africa. The equipment was received on behalf of Makerere by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi from the Executive Director EACREEE, Canon Goddy Muhanguzi Muhumuza. On hand to witness the handover were the University Secretary, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, Principal, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Prof. Moses Musinguzi, the Dean School of Engineering, Prof. Dorothy Okello and EACREEE/EELA officials.
The equipment which will be under the custody of CEDAT will according to the ED EACREEE allow for “screening of lighting products on the market in terms of their compliance with the country’s national regulatory framework as well as with the regional minimum energy performance standards developed in the EELA project.
“One of the objectives of the EELA project is to strengthen the capacity of national and regional institutions, testing centres and stakeholder groups in the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regions in order to drive a market transformation towards efficient and high-quality lighting and appliances” added Canon Muhumuza.
The EELA project which will bring regional support to private sector-led activities is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in collaboration with the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) and EACREEE.
Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi (2nd Right) hands over the equipment to CEDAT Principal-Prof. Moses Musinguzi and Dean School of Engineering, Prof. Dorothy Okello.
In his acceptance remarks, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi thanked Sida for funding the EELA project as well as the implementing partners UNIDO, SACREEE and EACREEE for enabling the project gain traction. He equally thanked the ED EACREEE Canon Muhumuza for ensuring that his Alma Mater Makerere University remains on the cutting edge of working with partners to monitor the standard of energy efficient lighting and appliances both domestically and regionally.
Notable among the projects being undertaken by EACREEE especially in the wake of mitigating the effects of climate change are the Energy Access and Green Transition Collaboratively Demonstrated in Urban and Rural Areas in Africa (ENERGICA) project funded the European Union with UNIDO, EAC, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and SADC as partners. To-date, ENERGICA has installed four (4) charging station demo sites and acquired over 200 electric motorbikes in Kenya.
EACREEE has also conducted; fourteen (14) trainings on SMART grids for 400 participants, three (3) trainings for small hydropower plants for 53 participants, as well as 4 trainings on solar PV for 175 technicians, students, operators, entrepreneurs and energy professionals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Canon Muhumuza concluded by sharing that EACREEE sees great potential of value addition to Makerere University in the form of internship positions for graduate students, mentorship and career talks for students, developing demonstration sites, jointly organizing events and contributing to topics of mutual interest.
A selection of the newly installed micro studio equipment on display during the official handover ceremony held at CEDAT on Wednesday, 25th June 2025.
The College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) at Makerere University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Project Management Committee of the “Enhancing the Distance Education Environment at Makerere University” initiative. This agreement formalizes the operational and managerial framework for the newly installed micro studio at CEDAT, aimed at strengthening the university’s digital learning infrastructure.
Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule, Deputy Principal of CEDAT, signed on behalf of the college, while Dr. Shon JinGon, Project Manager at the Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS), represented the implementing partner during an event held on Wednesday, 25th June 2025.
Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu (R) Head of the Department of Computer and Electronics Engineering at Makerere University, emphasized the importance of the training in promoting workplace safety.
In response to Uganda’s growing workplace safety concerns, staff at the College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) participated in an Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) training session aimed at increasing awareness and improving adherence to safety standards in professional and academic environments.
The workshop, organized by the School of Engineering, was part of a larger effort led by the OSHE Centers of Excellence, an initiative launched at Makerere, Kyambogo, and Busitema Universities on May 4, 2023. This program seeks to enhance workplace safety education, with a focus on hazard prevention, PPE usage, risk mitigation, and integrating OSHE principles into engineering curricula and industrial practices.
Speaking at the training, Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu, Head of the Department of Computer and Electronics Engineering at Makerere University, emphasized the importance of the training which was aimed at creating awareness about the need for the College, the university and the industry to proactively plan for safety at the place of work. It was indicated that Uganda was faced by alarming workplace injury rates, with over 25,000 workers suffering from job-related injuries annually, yet fatality statistics remain largely unreported.
Dr. Matovu highlighted the urgent need for OSHE integration in higher education, pointing out that 99% of engineering and science graduates enter the workforce without formal safety training. This lack of preparedness has led industries to withdraw internship placements, fearing liability if trainees suffer injuries or fatalities while on the job, he noted.
The NBD team and their hosts led by Dr. Robinah Kulabako pose for a picture at the CEDAT Block
Makerere University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has partnered with the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) to collaborate on a World Bank-funded, two-year project aimed at improving transboundary water resource management in East Africa.
During a meeting held on 5th June 2025 at CEDAT, Eng. Sylvesta Matemu, head of NBD, engaged with Makerere University representatives, including Dr. Philip Nyenje and Dr. Seith Mugume, to discuss strategies for effective implementation. The project seeks to employ citizen science approaches to involve local communities in water governance, data collection, and policy formulation.
The team also met with Prof. Dorothy Okello, Dean of the School of Engineering, and Dr. Robinah Kulabako, Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, to explore key areas of collaboration. Experts stressed the importance of regional cooperation in water management, citing growing concerns over resource sustainability and environmental challenges.