Incoming graduate students in the School of Engineering have been urged to work towards timely completion of the two-year program by adhering to the provisions contained in the graduate handbook. Students were further encouraged to attend the lectures, undertake all assignments and ensure that set deadlines are met.
The Deputy Principal CEDAT, Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule presided over the meeting where the students were congratulated upon getting enrolled through a very competitive process. In his remarks, the Deputy Principal encouraged the students to work towards gaining skills that would enable them get self- employed. He cautioned them against engaging in any form of malpractice which he said was not only punishable but could lead to dismissal and cancellation of the academic papers. Kizito further cautioned them against the vice of sexual harassment among students and staff.
The Deputy Principal CEDAT, Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule presiding over the meeting
During the orientation meeting held on Wednesday 14th August 2024, the Dean of the School of Engineering, Dr. Dorothy Okello informed the incoming students that the competition for the limited slots of graduate studies was on the rise each passing year, and advised them to utilize the opportunity before them by taking their studies with the seriousness it deserves in order to complete timely. She said it was only 40% of the applicants that were admitted, and therefore the college had high expectations from them as the best of all the applicants. She encouraged them to join research groups, look out for opportunities like student exchange programs involving international collaboration in order to expand their horizons.
Dr. Dorothy Okello, Dean of the School of Engineering, Makerere University
The graduate students were reminded that by virtue of enrolling on a masters’ programs, graduate students were researchers and that they needed to start thinking of designing software and prototypes. For them to progress, they were encouraged to cultivate the right mindset and attitude, utilize all the available sources of knowledge as one of the ways through which they were to undertake research and complete their program timely.
Other staff that addressed the students included, the Head of Department, Electrical and Computer engineering, Dr. Abubaker Matovu Wasswa, the Head of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Dr. Robinah Kulabako, the Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Dr. Peter Olupot, Dr. Edmund Mugumya, Prof Lating, and the School Registrar.
The graduate students enrolled on various programs in the School of Engineering, including Masters in power systems engineering, Masters in mechanical engineering, Masters in civil and environmental engineering.
This academic year 2024/2025, the University opened its gates to freshmen and women on 3rd August 2024. Inducting students into the University commenced on Monday, 5th August 2024 with a University-wide orientation organized by the Office of the Academic Registrar and conducted in the Freedom Square.
Makerere University’s School of Engineering is leading a transformative initiative to reshape Uganda’s engineering landscape through legislative engagement, academic collaboration, and industry integration.
The School, headed by Prof. Dorothy Okello, at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), recently presented a comprehensive memorandum to Parliament on the proposed Engineering Professionals Bill 2024. The document, developed through extensive consultations with academia and industry, reflects the collective voice of Uganda’s engineering stakeholders.
Following the submission, a high-level meeting was convened on Thursday, July 3rd, 2025 at Makerere University’s CEDAT Boardroom. The gathering brought together officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport, university deans, and representatives from the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) to address key recommendations and matters arising from the parliamentary presentation. The Deans of Various Engineering Schools that were at the meeting included the Universities of Gulu, Muni, Busitema, Kyambogo, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda Christian University, together with the host, Makerere.
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.