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MakSPH Honors Long-Serving Registrar Gladys Khamili as She Joins Senate
The Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) has honored Ms. Gladys Khamili for her 12 years of service as Registrar, as she transitions to a senior role in the Senate Division of Makerere University.
During the School’s 239th Management Meeting, colleagues recognized her contribution to academic administration and formally handed over the office.
Ms. Khamili assumes the role of Deputy Academic Registrar in charge of the Senate Division, where she will oversee academic standards, policy, and governance at the University. She replaces Mrs. Patience Rubabinda Mushengyezi, who officially retires after 26 years of dedicated service.
At the ceremony, Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor and Dean, together with members of MakSPH management, presented Ms. Khamili with a plaque in recognition of her service, noting that she “served the School of Public Health with distinction, demonstrating exceptional dedication, professionalism, and commitment to excellence,” and that her contribution strengthened academic administration at the School.
Dr. Wanyenze described Ms. Khamili as a steady and dependable presence. “She’s been with us and supported us in many ways. We thought we should meet here together to see her off. And I wish her the very best… we shall continue to work with her. She will continue to serve us in a different capacity,” she said.
Ms. Khamili joined the School of Public Health on March 15, 2012, from the College of Computing and Information Sciences, where she served as an Assistant Registrar.
Over the years, she has been central to the School’s academic operations—coordinating student admissions, managing records, overseeing examinations, and serving as secretariat to key governance structures, including the Academic Board, Examinations and Results Committee, and Appointments and Promotions Committee. Her role also involved handling student matters and ensuring compliance with University policies and Senate decisions.
Reflecting on her tenure, Ms. Khamili pointed to improvements in registration systems, records management, and examination processes. “In my tenure, I have had some achievements that have improved efficiency in the students’ registration processes and strengthened records management and data accuracy… and coordinated successful university graduation ceremonies,” she said.
She also highlighted areas for further strengthening, including improving documentation and follow-up of pending tasks, enhancing coordination across departments, and decentralising selected services, including transcript issuance.
The handover process was overseen by Internal Auditor Amos Dembe, who emphasized the importance of continuity in such a critical office. “The office of the registrar is very sensitive… It is at the core of what we do and what we stand for as a school. It calls for integrity and professionalism,” he said, adding that Ms. Khamili’s handover report provides “a strong body of knowledge for Ms. Annet Khabuya to build on and to hit the ground running.”
Mr. Dembe also commended Ms. Khamili’s professional and ethical record. “We have not had student issues of marks, money, or related concerns as a School… Thank you for making my work easier. That is not always the case. Some people make it hard for us, but this has not been the case here,” he noted.
Colleagues described her as thorough and dependable in a role that often operates behind the scenes. Dr. Joan Mutyoba, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, said the incoming Registrar would be stepping into a demanding position. “The shoes you are stepping into are really big. I have seen her work… She is extremely professional, one of the most professional people I have worked with. She takes her work very seriously and goes beyond the line,” she said.
In her farewell remarks, Ms. Khamili spoke candidly about her experience at the School. “My work has been with everybody… everything here is different—the people, the work culture—it has been very, very worthwhile,” she said, thanking colleagues for their support.
“If I had a choice, I would stay… but I don’t have that choice. Thank you so much for the support and for the love,” she added, acknowledging the demands of her role. “In my line of work, like in any space where you work with people, you certainly step on some toes… I ask that you find it in your heart to forgive and forget where necessary.”
The meeting also marked the official handover to Ms. Annet Khabuya, who takes over as Registrar. She commended the School’s approach to transition and organization.
“I have seen the systems, I have seen the organization, and I can confidently say there is continuity. I look forward to building on this work and working with all of you,” she said.
Ms. Khabuya joins MakSPH from the Examinations and Transcripts Division of the Senate and brings experience from the College of Natural Sciences and the School of Statistics and Planning.
Ms. Khamili’s transition marks a shift from School-level administration to University-wide academic governance, extending her impact beyond MakSPH to the broader Makerere system.
Makerere University staff have been urged to embrace servant leadership, integrity and compassion as they prepare to welcome students for the 2026/2027 Academic Year.
The call was made during the Makerere University Staff Prayer Breakfast held on 31st July 2026 at St. Francis Students Centre Upper Hall under the theme “Faithful Stewards: A Servant Heart with Integrity and Wisdom,” drawn from Colossians 3:23–24 and Mark 10:35–45.
The prayer breakfast brought together members of Council, University Management, academic, and administrative staff to dedicate the new academic year to God while reflecting on their responsibility of serving students with excellence, humility and integrity.
A Call to Seek God’s Wisdom
Host Rev. Dr. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa reminded staff that no amount of professional experience or academic expertise can replace God’s guidance.
She noted that the University’s mission can only be fulfilled when staff continually seek God’s wisdom in serving students and one another.
“There is no amount of experience or expertise that can replace God’s wisdom.”
Rev. Dr. Kitayimbwa observed that students remain the reason universities exist and challenged staff to approach their work as a calling rather than merely employment.
“Without students, there is no university,” she said, encouraging members of staff to remain united, avoid unhealthy competition and trust God as they begin another academic year.
She further urged staff to become faithful stewards who work together in harmony, which she summed up as, “United we stand; divided we fall.”
A Community, Not Just a Centre of Research
In her remarks, Dean of Students Dr. Winnie Kabumbuli welcomed the Council Chairperson, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Members of Management to the breakfast, and reminded staff that a university’s value cannot be measured by research and innovation alone.
She described Makerere as a community held together by the spiritual as well as academic wellbeing of its people, and called on staff to renew their commitment to one another as much as to the institution they serve.
Draw Inspiration From Stewardship
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Prof. Sarah Ssali told staff that this year’s breakfast carried special significance.
“This is the first prayer breakfast we are having ever since we launched our strategic plan,” she said, referring to the University’s new Strategic Plan, launched on 2nd July 2026.
She encouraged staff to hold on to the morning’s reflections as a guide for implementing the plan over the next five years, describing Makerere as an institution many families choose above all others for the vision and training it offers their children. She urged staff to see themselves as stewards of that trust rather than simply employees carrying out a job.
Compassion and Discipline Must Go Together
Delivering her remarks, Makerere University Council Chairperson Dr. Lorna Magara challenged staff to strike a balance between compassion and discipline when dealing with students.
She observed that many students face different personal and academic challenges, making encouragement and timely support essential throughout their university journey.
“A word of encouragement can restore hope and prevent costly mistakes,” she noted.
Dr. Lorna encouraged lecturers and administrators to respond promptly to students’ concerns, explaining that delays, insensitive decisions and abuse of authority can discourage students and negatively affect their academic experience.
She reminded staff that students often remember how they were treated long after they have forgotten what was taught in class.
“Students may eventually forget what we teach them, but they will always remember how we treated them.”
She added that education goes beyond transferring knowledge.
“Education is more than knowledge. We communicate life, character and values.”
Quoting Mark 10, Dr. Lorna called upon staff to embrace servant leadership by exercising authority with humility, integrity and accountability.
She encouraged members of staff to ask themselves whether they would treat every student the same way ashey would treat their own child.
“We may not always have all the answers,” she said, “but we can communicate honestly, take responsibility and treat every student with dignity.”
She concluded by urging different colleges and administrative units to work together instead of operating in isolation, noting that unity strengthens the University community.
Referring to Galatians 6:2, she reminded staff to carry one another’s burdens and remain faithful stewards of the responsibility entrusted to them.
Servant Leadership Begins with Faithfulness
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. James Magara, husband to Dr. Lorna Magara, called on members of staff to embrace servant leadership grounded in humility, faithfulness and service to others.
Drawing from Mark 10:35–45, Dr. Magara reflected on the account in which James and John asked Jesus for positions of honour in His kingdom, prompting discontent among the other disciples. He observed that despite walking closely with Christ, the disciples continued to struggle with the desire for status and recognition. He noted that such competition remained evident even during the Last Supper, where concerns over positions and prominence persisted.
Dr. Magara said that Jesus responded to these human tendencies by redefining leadership through service rather than authority. He described Christ’s act of washing the disciples’ feet as the ultimate demonstration of servant leadership, explaining that genuine leaders are willing to undertake even the humblest responsibilities in service of others.
Referencing Philippians 2, he urged staff to emulate Christ’s humility and selflessness, contrasting it with the pride and self-exaltation illustrated in Isaiah 14. He emphasised that lasting influence and greatness are not measured by titles, positions or recognition, but by one’s willingness to serve faithfully and put the needs of others before personal ambition.
Drawing on his own leadership journey spanning several decades, Dr. Magara challenged leaders across the University to cultivate humility, integrity and a servant heart in the execution of their responsibilities. He cautioned that leadership driven by pride and personal ambition undermines both individual effectiveness and institutional progress, whereas servant leadership strengthens organisations and fosters lasting impact.
The prayer breakfast concluded with a call for unity and collective commitment as Makerere University prepares to begin a new academic year. Organisers noted that the reflections on stewardship, integrity and servant leadership would provide a strong foundation for the University community as it advances the implementation of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025–2030.
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