General
EAC Team Conducts E-Waste Management Workshop for SSP Staff
Makerere University’s School of Statistics and Planning (SSP) recently hosted a three-day workshop on sustainable electronic waste (e-waste) management, led by a team from the East African Community (EAC). The workshop, which is part of a broader initiative to enhance environmental management practices across the East African region, was aimed at retooling university staff on the best practices for handling and disposing of e-waste.
The workshop was officially opened by Prof. James Wokadala, the Deputy Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences and Dean of the School of Statistics and Planning. In his opening remarks, Prof. Wokadala expressed his gratitude to the EAC team, led by Mr. Dismas Mwikila, for the critical knowledge shared with Makerere University staff. He highlighted the importance of e-waste management, emphasizing that the public needs to be well-informed about the proper ways to dispose of electronic waste.
“E-waste is becoming a growing concern as more electronic devices are being used and discarded. Without proper disposal methods, hazardous substances like lead, mercury, and cadmium, often found in electronic equipment, can cause significant harm to both human health and the environment,” said Prof. Wokadala. He underscored that this training comes at a crucial time, as Uganda and the broader East African region are seeing an increase in the use of electronic devices. He also expressed his hope that similar training workshops would be scaled up to other colleges within the university to ensure comprehensive coverage of this critical issue.
The workshop forms part of the EAC’s Electronic Waste Management Plan (E-Waste MP), which was developed to address the growing challenge of electronic waste across its member states, including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to the EAC’s environmental and social commitment plan, managing e-waste is crucial not only for protecting the environment but also for safeguarding human health. In line with this, the EAC emphasizes the importance of adopting sustainable e-waste management practices, such as recycling and proper disposal, which help to mitigate the harmful effects of toxic materials found in electronic products
The workshop covered the best practices for the disposal of these items, including recycling and recovery techniques that can be used to extract valuable materials from discarded electronic devices. This ensures that fewer toxic substances are released into the environment, and valuable resources are recovered for reuse.
Prof. Wokadala further appreciated the EAC’s generous support to Makerere University’s School of Statistics and Planning, noting that the school recently received 160 computers, laptops, printers, and other ICT equipment worth $0.5 million from the EAC. This donation is expected to enhance the school’s technological capabilities, further supporting the institution’s mission to provide high-quality education and research in the field of statistics and planning. Additionally, the EAC has provided funding to facilitate staff training in Data Analytics, a critical area for the future of research and decision-making in the digital age.
The Mr. George Magala, from the Ministry of EAC Affairs Uganda, also highlighted the importance of sustainable e-waste management practices not only in educational institutions but also across all sectors of the economy.
Mr. Mwikila explained that e-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world, growing at a rate of 3-5% per year. This growth is driven by the increasing use of electronic devices, coupled with their shorter life cycles. He noted that without sustainable e-waste management practices, countries in the East African region risk facing significant environmental and health challenges. Proper e-waste management not only reduces the harmful impacts on the environment but also provides economic opportunities through the recovery of valuable materials such as copper, aluminum, and gold from discarded electronics
The workshop concluded with a call to action for universities and other institutions in Uganda and the wider East African region to adopt sustainable e-waste management practices. The EAC reiterated its commitment to providing technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives to help institutions manage e-waste in a responsible and sustainable manner.
This initiative demonstrates Makerere University’s ongoing efforts to align itself with global best practices in environmental management, further positioning itself as a leader in sustainable development in the region. By equipping its staff with the necessary skills to manage e-waste, the university is taking a proactive step in addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the digital age.
The three-day workshop represents an important milestone in Makerere University’s collaboration with the EAC, and it is expected to have a lasting impact on the university’s ability to manage electronic waste sustainably.
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged newly admitted postgraduate diploma and master’s students to take ownership of their academic journey, produce knowledge that addresses Africa’s challenges and use their training to create opportunities for society.
The call was made on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during the orientation of postgraduate diploma and master’s students held at the Main Hall, Main Building, Makerere University. The orientation was conducted under the theme “Harnessing the Power of Graduate Training to Transform Africa’s Research Trajectory.”
Addressing the students, Prof. Sarah Ssali, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said admission to postgraduate education marked an important transition from undergraduate study and should come with greater independence, critical thinking and responsibility.
“Postgraduate study is not just the accumulation of knowledge. You are now active researchers, critical thinkers and creators of your own knowledge,” Prof. Ssali said.
She said postgraduate training should enable students to deepen their expertise, strengthen their analytical abilities and develop solutions to real-world problems.
“Through your projects, dissertations, innovations and professional practice, you have the opportunity to contribute knowledge that can influence policies, improve services and transform lives. Your research matters, and your contribution matters,” she said.
Prof. Ssali urged students to see their studies beyond the pursuit of a degree, encouraging them to ask themselves why they had chosen postgraduate education and what contribution they intended to make to their communities and professions.
“See your coursework as an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills that will help you propose new solutions to real-world challenges,” she said.
She also encouraged students to embrace collaboration with communities and non-academic partners, saying many of them were already coming to the University with professional and community experiences that could enrich their research.
“Don’t think that your scholarship is only for those who look academic. Embrace community, embrace networks,” she said.
Prof. Ssali further cautioned the students against wasting time, noting that many postgraduate students have employment, family and other responsibilities alongside their studies.
“Make the most of your time and don’t waste it,” she said, urging students to use available study time productively even when there are changes in their lecture schedules.
She also emphasised the need for students to take responsibility for their progress instead of waiting for lecturers or supervisors to push them.
“Postgraduate education requires independence, independent inquiry, independent research, independent interrogation and also active participation,” Prof. Ssali said.
Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director of Graduate Training, told the students that their admission was a significant achievement given the large number of applicants seeking postgraduate opportunities at Makerere.
“We received over 12,000 applications to our postgraduate programmes, but we are only able to take just a small percentage of that. That means you are just the few people who are able to do this,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He urged the new students to appreciate the opportunity and understand that graduate education carries responsibilities beyond attending lectures and completing examinations.
According to Prof. Kikooma, Uganda and Africa require highly trained human capital capable of driving national and continental development priorities.
“The country needs more highly trained people if it is going to achieve its aspirations and priorities for national development,” he said.
He challenged the students to consider what Uganda and Africa would look like in the coming decades and to question whether the continent would continue relying on ideas, innovations and creations generated elsewhere.
“Will it still be a country that always depends on ideas, innovations and creations that come from outside?” he asked, before urging the students to become part of the generation that develops home-grown solutions.
Prof. Kikooma said much of what Uganda would need in the future would depend on what the country invests in today, particularly in human capital and research.
He also explained that the Directorate of Graduate Training works with colleges, schools, departments and central University units to strengthen the quality of graduate education.
“We want to make sure that what you are taking away from here is of a certain quality,” he said, adding that the University has established policies, standards and systems intended to create an environment in which postgraduate students can succeed.
However, Prof. Kikooma stressed that the University cannot take responsibility for the entire academic journey on behalf of students.
“We will not replace your programme. We will not replace your lecturers. We will not replace your supervisors. Each of those has a different role to play along your journey,” he said.
He encouraged students to be proactive by understanding their programmes, colleges and the various support services available to them.
“Successful graduates tend to be proactive rather than reactive. So don’t wait until you have a problem, then you start running from it,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He further urged the students to work within the stipulated programme period, noting that most master’s programmes take about two years while postgraduate diploma programmes generally take one year.
Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, urged the newly admitted students to use their graduate training to produce knowledge capable of addressing challenges facing their communities, Uganda and Africa.
He challenged them to move beyond consuming knowledge generated elsewhere and instead become producers of knowledge and solutions.
Prof. Wamala emphasised the importance of connecting research to society, innovation and professional practice, encouraging students to identify problems within their workplaces and communities that could become areas for meaningful research.
He said Africa needed researchers capable of generating evidence, innovations and practical solutions to support development rather than simply importing solutions from other parts of the world.
The Director encouraged the students to build collaborative networks during their studies and to regard the University as an ecosystem in which researchers, professionals, communities and other partners can work together.
Dr. Kizito Ongaya, Deputy University Librarian, introduced the students to Makerere’s extensive library and information resources, urging them to make the library a central part of their postgraduate studies.
He said the University Library operates a hybrid system combining physical collections with electronic resources.
“We have over 200,000 types of books in our library, with 45 e-journal databases,” Dr. Ongaya said.
He encouraged students to make use of the University’s electronic databases, noting that substantial resources are invested in providing access to scholarly journals.
“If you don’t use e-journals, you are unacceptable,” he told the students, emphasising that postgraduate research requires extensive engagement with scholarly literature.
Dr. Ongaya also highlighted the University’s archival collections, specialised libraries and information centres located across its colleges.
He said students would be guided on how to access both physical and electronic resources and encouraged them to explore specialised collections that could support their individual research areas.
Dr. Mike Barongo, Team Leader ICT, Department of the Academic Registrar, told the new students that Makerere had increasingly digitised its academic and administrative processes and urged them to complete their online registration as an immediate priority.
He said students could access their provisional admission letters through the online application system and use the student number provided to activate their student portals.
“The student portal is very, very critical,” Dr. Barongo said.
He explained that students must enrol and register in order to access key University services, including institutional email and Wi-Fi.
“Once you enroll, you create an institutional email address. That institutional email address is the gateway for you to access so many things, like Wi-Fi,” he said.
Dr. Barongo also informed students that ICT support centres were available to assist those experiencing challenges with enrolment, registration or access to digital services.
He urged students to ensure they enrol and register every semester so that the University systems can accurately capture their academic and financial information.
Others senior members in attendance include the Deputy University Bursar Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba and Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre.
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