Engineering, Art & Tech
CEDAT Graduates 760 Students during the Makerere University 75th Ceremony, 17th January 2025
The College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) celebrated the achievements of 760 graduands during the 75th Makerere University graduation ceremony, held on January 17, 2024, at Freedom Square. Among the graduates were 265 women and 501 men, with four outstanding individuals receiving their PhDs. This momentous event marked a significant milestone in the academic journey of these students.
In his remarks at the event, the Chancellor, of Makerere University Dr. Crispus Kiyonga proposed establishing formalized relationships with medium- to large-scale farmers nationwide. This initiative, he said, aims to enhance the practical experience of agriculture students and promote community development.Dr. Kiyonga congratulated the 13,660 graduates and expressed gratitude to parents, guardians, and university staff for their support. He also thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Mrs. Janet Museveni, Minister of Education and Sports, for their invaluable assistance.
Highlighting the university’s role in industrialization and community outreach, Dr. Kiyonga encouraged formal partnerships with the investment community to commercialize innovations. He urged graduates to apply their skills for societal benefit and stressed the importance of understanding socio-economic forces.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, praised the college for its outstanding accomplishments over the past year. He noted that CEDAT has firmly established itself as a research hub within the university. Despite the significant loss of highly qualified staff to various government agencies, the college is recovering and regaining its status as a leader in research and innovation, showcasing its resilience and dedication to academic excellence.
Another milestone in CEDAT’s research output was the development of a low-cost smart energy meter to help electricity consumers better understand their energy consumption patterns. This customized monitoring and data collection package was designed to accommodate the limitations of rural settings and will aid consumers in ensuring their purchased electricity units are efficiently utilized whenever they turn on their electrical appliances. This innovation emerged from the Mak-RIF (1st Phase) funded project titled, “Integration of the Centralized Grid and Decentralized Renewable Energy Off-Grid Systems: A Techno-Economic Analysis.” The energy metering system comes at a time when many people face high energy demands that are expected to rise significantly in the future, highlighting the need for solutions aimed at reducing energy wastage.
Prof. Nawangwe also highlighted a study led by Dr. Ronald Kizito that developed the Neural Text-To-Speech System, an innovation to aid the translation of written Luganda language text into speech using artificial intelligence. This was a result of the research, ‘A Luganda Neural Text-To-Speech System for Health Promotion and Accessibility,’ a multi-year task involving researchers from the Languages and Literature Departments in CHUSS. The innovation aims to support the dissemination of health messages to a wide Luganda-speaking audience who may not be in a position to read written text, which is usually the mode used in sending out information through literature like fliers. With support from MakRIF, it aims to create a Luganda TTS model, build a 10 million-word Luganda text corpus, and build a 20-hour single-speaker Luganda speech dataset.
Another significant output from the college was the promotion of active mobility through integrating applied research, education, and community engagement. By employing innovative approaches like real-life experiments, crowd mapping, and inclusive stakeholder engagement, the CAMA project addresses the urgent need for better infrastructure and planning to support walking and cycling in urban areas to create sustainable cities. CAMA is transforming how cities in sub-Saharan Africa approach mobility. This endeavor underscores the importance of addressing local challenges and equips the next generation of engineers and urban planners with the tools to create safer, more livable cities. This is a collaborative initiative involving several universities in Africa, led by Makerere University.
The 75th graduation ceremony saw a total of 13,658 graduands receiving degrees and diplomas from Makerere University. Of these, 143 graduands were awarded PhDs, 1,813 received Masters degrees, 11,454 obtained Bachelor’s degrees, and 243 earned postgraduate diplomas. 53% of the graduands were female and 47% were male, with 44% of the PhD graduands being female. A total of 491 graduands received first-class degrees. Additionally, 16% of the graduands were awarded postgraduate degrees and diplomas.
Written by Harriet Musinguzi, Principal Communication Officer, College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology
Makerere University, through its College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), proudly hosted the first-ever Joint 8th Advances in Geomatics Research Conference (AGRC) and 14th Eastern Africa Land Administration Network (EALAN) Conference 2025. The event brought together scholars, land professionals, and policymakers to shape the future of land governance across the continent. Makerere’s role as host was in line with its current Chairmanship of EALAN.
Participants from over five African countries—namely Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and South Sudan—attended the conference, which commenced on July 31 and is set to conclude on August 1. The official opening was presided over by Hon. Judith Nabakooba Nalule, Uganda’s Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development. She applauded the Department of Geomatics and Land Management at CEDAT for organizing and hosting the event.
Hon. Nabakooba highlighted the relevance of the conference theme, Geo-Enablement for Sustainable Development: Harnessing Innovation in Geomatics and Land Administration, noting it directly addresses national needs. “Indeed, sustainable development fundamentally depends on effective land management and efficient geospatial data collection,” she stated. She underscored the necessity for accurate information to guide policymakers and emphasized that the NRM government recognizes land as wealth. “This is precisely why we have prioritized the ongoing reforms in Uganda’s land administration systems, from the expansion of the Land Information System to strengthen the land registration services. We are also now focusing on further enhancing our systems through cutting-edge blockchain technology to ensure transparency, security and efficiency in land governance,” she added. Hon. Nabakooba called for stronger collaboration between government, academia, and the private sector to realize these goals, adding that “research is crucial for generating evidence to inform policy and that universities play a vital role in training professionals.” She urged scientists to be agents of change and devise practical solutions to land-related challenges.
Speaking at the same event, Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Robert Wamala remarked that the conference’s theme aligns with Makerere University’s revised research agenda 2025–2030, which emphasizes sustainable urbanization and housing. He cited challenges like population growth, informal settlements, housing deficits, and environmental sustainability, stating, “Makerere University is conducting research on urban land governance, spatial planning, infrastructure development, affordable housing models and the integration of innovative geospatial technologies for managing urban growth.” These research efforts, he noted, aim to inform evidence-based policies and ensure urban areas are inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Vision 2040, and other national development frameworks.
Prof. Wamala encouraged attendees to use the conference as a platform for sharing research and building collaborations that can translate academic innovations into practical outcomes. “The conversations and partnerships that emerge from this conference should help us shape policies, help us strengthen institutional capacities, but also to expand opportunities for technological transformation and entrepreneurship in the field of geomatics and land administration,” he said. He commended the organizing committee led by Prof. Gidudu Anthony, as well as partners and sponsors such as GIZ, UN Habitat, and CEDAT, for their dedication and hard work.
In her keynote address, Dr. Upendo Matotola, Director of Real Estate at Tanzania’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, stressed the critical need for financing innovation to improve land administration systems in East Africa. She noted that land is more than a production tool; it is also a source of identity, heritage, and power. Dr. Upendo called for a transformation in land governance, pointing out that innovation must transcend technology to include inclusive policies, empowered communities, and stronger institutional coordination. Addressing issues such as outdated paper-based records, limited access to land information, and conflicting legal frameworks, she warned that, without urgent action, land insecurity will continue to threaten peace, development, and investment. Drawing lessons from Tanzania, she advocated for harmonized and citizen-centred reforms to build more efficient and equitable land systems.
The conference that was held at Kabira Country Club also featured keynote speeches from respected figures such as Prof. Jaap Zevenbergen from the University of Twente (Netherlands), Prof. Timothy Dube from the University of Western Cape (South Africa), Dr. Pamela Duran-Diaz (Netherlands), and Mr. Simon Peter Mwesigye from UN Habitat.
Prior to the official opening, pre-conference activities, including seminars and workshops, were held. One such workshop focused on Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration (FFPLA) and was officially closed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. He urged universities to look beyond teaching and graduating students to proactively planning and advising government on land management policies. “We as universities must study these issues and come up with solutions,” said Prof. Nawangwe. He encouraged researchers to lobby government with policy recommendations for implementation. He thanked the Government of Uganda for financially supporting such research and also commended the Department of Geomatics and Land Management at CEDAT for their contribution to improved land use and planning, while encouraging them to continue pushing forward.
The workshop, which started on Monday, July 28, was officially opened by Mr. Joseph Sembatya, Commissioner for Land Administration at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
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