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By Ben Musanje
The Uganda Management Institute (UMI) has appealed for Shs15.4 billion to support infrastructure expansion at its campuses across the country, even as the institution celebrated a historic milestone of promoting its first full professors and graduating 4,087 students.
Speaking during UMI’s 23rd graduation ceremony, UMI Director General Professor James Luyonga Nkata said the institute was grappling with growing demand for its services amid limited infrastructure development at its Kampala, Mbale and Mbarara campuses.
According to Professor Nkata, the institution urgently required approximately Shs15.4 billion to commence planned development initiatives aimed at addressing space and capacity constraints.
Despite the infrastructure challenges, the Director General said UMI had made significant progress in strengthening its academic and research profile as part of its strategic transition into a research and innovation-led institution.
He revealed that since the previous graduation ceremony, the institute had recruited 15 new lecturers, all holding PhDs, raising the proportion of faculty members with doctoral qualifications to 85 percent.
Prof. Nkata said the strengthened academic workforce had elevated UMI’s standing both nationally and internationally, adding that the institution had recently been ranked the fourth-best university in Uganda in a biometric ranking.
A major highlight of the ceremony was the promotion of five scholars to the rank of full professor for the first time in the history of the institute.
The newly promoted professors were announced as Professor Rose Namara, Professor of Development Management; Professor Maria Karuhangire Barifaijo, Professor of Education; Professor Gerald Kagambirwe Karyeija, Professor of Public Administration and Management; Professor Proscovia Namubiru Ssentamu, Professor of Education; and Professor James Luyonga Nkata, Professor of Educational Leadership and Management.
While introducing the newly promoted professors, Professor Nkata humorously acknowledged his own inclusion among the group, declaring a “conflict of interest”.
The graduation ceremony saw 4,087 graduands receive qualifications, including 11 PhDs, 801 master’s degrees, 3,266 postgraduate diplomas and nine ordinary diplomas.
Addressing the graduates, Prof. Nkata urged them to prioritize humanity, dignity and equity in leadership and development, arguing that development without concern for human well-being could not be considered meaningful progress.
He encouraged graduates to embrace lifelong learning, saying academic qualifications should mark the beginning of continuous growth rather than the end of education.
According to the Director General, professionals in the modern world must constantly learn, unlearn and relearn to remain relevant in changing social and economic environments.
To the PhD graduates, he emphasized that doctoral qualifications should be used to advance knowledge and generate practical solutions to societal challenges through research and innovation.
Professor Nkata also highlighted several initiatives aimed at deepening UMI’s research agenda, including the establishment of a Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Management Studies, a Centre for Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Studies, and a Management Business Incubation Centre to support entrepreneurship and innovation.
The institute further announced plans to host the 10th International Public Procurement Conference in August 2026, which is expected to attract scholars and practitioners from across the world.
In line with emerging technological and management trends, the School of Research, Learning and Information Technology introduced new postgraduate diploma programmes for the 2026/2027 academic year. These include Cyber security and Computer Forensics, Data Science and Business Analytics, Business Computing and Management, and Procurement and Supply Chain Management through distance learning.
Professor Nkata said the programmes were aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and intended to equip professionals with practical ICT and management skills needed for national development.
The Director General also disclosed that government had allocated Shs2 billion towards research and innovation activities at the institute. He thanked government for its continued support, saying the funding would strengthen UMI’s contribution to Uganda’s national development agenda through impactful research.
Representing Ministry of Education and Sports Permanent Secretary Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda at the ceremony, Timothy Ssejoba commended UMI for strengthening academic excellence and institutional credibility.
He praised the institute for appointing five full professors and several associate professors within a single year, describing the development as a major boost to UMI’s academic standing and research capacity.
Ssejoba said the graduation of 11 PhD scholars demonstrated that the institute was steadily progressing toward becoming a truly research-led institution capable of generating solutions relevant to Uganda’s development agenda.
He also applauded UMI for supporting the Ministry of Education and Sports in strengthening the capacity of secondary school head teachers, security officers and public servants through specialized leadership and management training.
In addition, Ssejoba congratulated UMI upon its re-accreditation under ISO 9001 standards, describing the achievement as evidence of the institute’s commitment to quality assurance, institutional efficiency and continuous improvement.
He reminded higher education institutions about the Ministry of Education and Sports directive requiring all institutions to transition to competence-based education and training by the 2027/2028 academic year in order to equip graduates with practical and industry-relevant skills.
As the ceremony concluded, Professor Nkata challenged graduates to become proactive leaders capable of driving transformation within their communities and workplaces.
He urged the graduands to embody the leadership values associated with UMI alumni and make meaningful contributions to Uganda’s social and economic transformation. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com). 
