The College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) at Makerere University has officially launched its pioneering taught PhD program in Livestock Development and Planning an initiative marking a significant leap forward in agricultural education and research in Uganda. Designed to address pressing challenges in the livestock sector, the program will blend academic rigor with practical relevance, equipping scholars with the skills and knowledge needed to drive sustainable development, enhance food security, and shape policy across the region.
In alignment with Makerere University’s curriculum development framework, stakeholders from across the livestock industry were invited to contribute their insights to ensure the program is relevant, rigorous, and responsive to contemporary challenges. The stakeholder engagement forum that brought together academics, civil society actors, farmer representatives, donor agencies, and policymakers was convened at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) on Thursday, 14th August 2015. The objective was to solicit broad-based input into the proposed taught PhD program in Livestock Development and Planning, fostering a collaborative approach to shaping its content and direction.
Dr. Dorothy Nampanzira, Head, LIR Department gave opening remarks. Right is Prof. Anthony Mugisha, Left, Dr. Rose Azuba, the facilitator of the stakeholder meeting.
Dr. Dorothy Nampanzira Kalule, Head of the Department of Livestock and Industrial Resources, welcomed the participants and acknowledged the need for a collaborative effort that would help in the improvement of the proposed program. “This program is not just going to produce intellectually capable individuals, it will produce citizens equipped to solve the real-world challenges facing the livestock industry,” she emphasized.
Dr. Nampanzira paid special tribute to Professor Anthony Mugisha, whom she described as the “thought leader” behind the initiative. His visionary proposal for a taught PhD program ignited a college-wide collaboration, ultimately leading to the development of a curriculum tailored to the evolving needs of Uganda’s livestock sector, she said. She acknowledged the contribution by departmental staff for their unwavering commitment to the development of the program. Quoting Nelson Mandela, she underscored the transformative power of education: “Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world.” She likened the new PhD program to a finely crafted weapon, calling on participants to help sharpen it through open dialogue and shared expertise. “We are here to sharpen this weapon,” she said. “The enemy is food insecurity and poverty. Let us be bold, open, and visionary in shaping this program.”
A section of the stakeholders that were at the meeting.Dr. Henry Zakumumpa who represented the Ag. Director, DRGT at the stakeholder engagement.
“We must strike the right balance,” said Dr. Henry Zakumumpa who represented the Ag. Director of the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training Professor Julius Kikooma. “Doctoral research requires depth, time, and intellectual maturity, he said while giving counsel on the program which he said should emphasize more on research output”. Zakumumpa said as part of the ongoing reforms, the university was reaffirming the importance of cross-cutting mandatory courses, including Philosophy of Methods, Research Methodology, Gender Research, and Research Writing. These core units are examinable and graded, forming a critical foundation for doctoral scholarship and ensuring that PhD candidates are equipped with essential research competencies and analytical skills.
While referring the college to existing guidelines Zakumumpa advised the team to incorporate a benchmarking process that draws on successful external models, notably the taught PhD program at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), which has been commended for its structured approach and academic rigor.
Staff of CoVAB that participated in the stakeholder engagement.
Prof. Robert Tweyongyere, Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources (SVAR), who represented the Principal of the College, Prof. Frank Norbert Mwiine, expressed his delight at the milestone achieved. He described the engagement as a valuable opportunity to refine the program and urged the team to strictly adhere to the provided guidelines in order to successfully navigate the approval processes at both Makerere University and the National Council for Higher Education. He congratulated the Department of Livestock and Industrial Resources (LIR) on their progress and encouraged other departments to follow suit in designing academic programs that are responsive to societal needs.
Prof. Robert Tweyongyere, Dean SVAR congratulated the LIR Department for the milestone.
Prof. Anthony Mugisha noted that the department initially conceptualized the program idea and, with support from agencies such as RUFORUM, received valuable guidance throughout the development process. He emphasized the importance of advancing beyond technical training to cultivate thought leaders and philosophers within the sector. “With the Master of Livestock Development program, we have begun building a critical mass,” he said, “but we now need to nurture philosophers—individuals who can think deeply and strategically for the future of the sector.”
This PhD focuses on advancing sustainable, ethical, and technologically driven livestock systems. It prepares experts in Livestock production and management, climate-resilient farming, Artificial Intelligence and Digital tools and big data in agriculture as well as Animal welfare and policy leadership.
The organizers of the Stakeholder engagement were recognized and commended for their relentless effort.
As part of the Lake Victoria Improved Water Level Management through Advanced Modelling (LIVWA) Project, newly developed tools were unveiled during a dissemination workshop hosted by the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) on August 26th, 2026. The project seeks to develop advanced hydrological and climate models to enhance water level management in Lake Victoria, East Africa’s largest freshwater resource.
The tools were designed to integrate remote sensing and reanalysis climate datasets with advanced hydrological modeling, enabling researchers and policymakers to better predict fluctuations in water levels in the lake. By combining historical data with AI and Machine Learning forecasting, the models aim to provide actionable insights for sustainable water resource management. Click here for details
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) for Preparedness and Response to Pandemics and Shocks, has shared findings from its study of Uganda’s Mpox response with stakeholders in Kasese, Amuru, Nakasongola and Mayuge districts to strengthen district preparedness for future outbreaks.
The Africa-Europe CoRE is a partnership co-led by MakSPH and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UCLouvain, Belgium. It brings together universities in Africa and Europe to strengthen research, training and preparedness for pandemics and other public health shocks.
The district-level dissemination meetings, held from 10 to 14 August 2026, brought together more than 100 local government, health and security officials, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and community representatives. The meetings enabled stakeholders to validate the district-level findings, identify practical actions and provide feedback for the study’s final analysis and national dissemination.
Mr. Philliam Jabim shares the Mpox response study findings with participants during the dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Uganda confirmed its first two Mpox cases on 24 July 2024 at Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. The Ministry of Health declared an outbreak on 2 August 2024. As documented in the study, the response involved health workers, communities, local governments, security agencies, political leaders, and implementing partners.
In response to the outbreak, a MakSPH research team led by Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, Dr. Steven Kabwama and Mr. Douglas Bulafu conducted a study in May 2025 to assess Uganda’s Mpox response, including its policies, interventions, strategies and challenges, and generate lessons to inform recovery and strengthen preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Using purposive sampling, the research team conducted 20 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions in each of the four districts, drawing perspectives from western Uganda in Kasese, northern Uganda in Amuru, central Uganda in Nakasongola and eastern Uganda in Mayuge.
Participants and the MakSPH research team at the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
The study, titled Assessment of the Mpox Response in Uganda: Documenting Challenges, Lessons and Innovations to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacities, was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF).
“This study is helping us move beyond recounting the Mpox response to identifying the actions that districts and national partners can take before the next outbreak. By validating the findings with stakeholders who led and experienced the response, we are ensuring that the evidence reflects local realities and can inform stronger surveillance, risk communication, coordination and community engagement,” said Mr. Bulafu, who led the MakSPH team during the dissemination meeting in Amuru.
Mr. Douglas Bulafu engages participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Amuru District on 10 August 2026.
In Amuru, the 10 August meeting brought together over 25 stakeholders from the district health team, political leadership, security agencies, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and the community. On the same day, a second MakSPH team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, convened stakeholders in Kasese for a parallel validation meeting. The consultations then continued in Nakasongola on 12 August and concluded in Mayuge on 14 August, extending the study’s engagement across all four districts.
Across the districts, stakeholders said the results reflected their experience during the outbreak. They pointed to strengths in leadership, coordination, community engagement and partner support, while also describing gaps in documentation, logistics, diagnostic access, staffing, risk communication, public trust and continuity of essential health services.
They also noted inconsistent implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) 7-1-7 target, which calls for detecting a suspected outbreak within seven days, notifying public health authorities within one day and completing early response actions within seven days.
The MakSPH research team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, with participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Kasese District on 10 August 2026.
In Kasese, stakeholders highlighted gaps in documentation, financial and logistical resources, and human resources. They identified Village Health Teams and grassroots, religious and cultural leaders as important resources for community surveillance and risk communication. They called for stronger collaboration between technical and non-technical leaders, engagement with traditional healers, greater use of local radio for public sensitisation, and better facilitation of district epidemic response teams to reach distant communities.
Amuru participants called for proactive preparedness in the border district, citing misinformation and rumours as barriers to risk communication. They urged timely, accurate information from health workers and other authorities; training in disease surveillance and grant writing to strengthen capacity and resource mobilisation; and compassionate care, psychosocial support and community awareness to reduce stigma and support survivor reintegration.
During the meeting in Nakasongola, stakeholders identified Community Health Workers and Community Health Extension Workers as potential resources for strengthening community surveillance and addressing workforce shortages. Given the district’s position around Lake Kyoga and along the Kampala-South Sudan transit corridor, they also called for stronger documentation, note-taking and reporting, accurate real-time information, closer communication with the Ministry of Health, and collaboration among technical, political, religious and community leaders.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, contributes to the discussion during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, called for a permanent, adequately resourced outbreak-management centre to help protect routine services during future epidemics. “We appeal for better facilities to manage epidemics and outbreaks. At Nakasongola Health Centre IV, spaces previously used for outbreak management have been repurposed for other services, and we have limited staff. During the Mpox response, colleagues assigned to manage patients later returned to the general team, creating fear among staff already under pressure,” she said.
In Mayuge, Dr. Basembeza highlighted leadership, coordination and surveillance structures operating from district to community level as important factors in the response. He said the structures enabled the district to receive and respond quickly to community alerts. “Whenever there is a rumour or an alert, we are able to respond. Within 20 minutes, we had a response because of the structure we have,” Dr. Basembeza said.
Based on the findings, the research team recommends increased preparedness financing, stronger community engagement, decentralised diagnostic services through stronger district laboratory capacity, and improved health information and research systems.
Across the four districts, stakeholders reaffirmed that trusted community structures and coordinated action across sectors are essential to strengthening outbreak preparedness.
It is a pleasure to present the January – June 2026 edition of the MakGrad Newsletter by Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training. At the Directorate of Graduate Training we are committed to building an enabling environment where our students can flourish and their academic journey is well-supported. Formerly one of the two main divisions that constituted the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, the stand alone Directorate of Graduate Training is mandated to coordinate and administer all matters related to postgraduate studies.
At time when Makerere University is steadily transforming into a research led institution, we are on hand to review and initiate policies meant to provide a conducive environment for graduate training and innovative research. From redesigned PhD crosscutting courses, enhanced supervision structures, improved infrastructure, to stronger partnerships with global institutions — we are laying the foundation for increased success.
In this edition of our newsletter, we share with you highlights of some of the activities during the period January – June 2026. The 76th graduation ceremony in February 2026 recorded key important in roads in Makerere University’s efforts to respond to the country’s need for increased capacity in doctoral training. The 213 PhDs was a significant increase from the previous number of 144. It reflects an intentional progress towards increased completion rates. Beyond focusing on technical expertise, the Directorate coordinates efforts to cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and interdisciplinary fluency of all our graduate students. Today’s challenges rarely fit neatly into one discipline; they demand collaboration across disciplinary fields. In this edition of the Newsletter, we share some of the training of trainers and learners’ trainings we have conducted to achieve this objective.
I thank all the staff of the Directorate and the university at large, the graduate students and all the stakeholder for the support and collaboration. You are part of a growing, supportive community committed to excellence and transformation that our country prides in.
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