Prof Moses Muhwezi, the newly appointed Principal of Makerere University Business School (Mubs), has outlined key priority areas where he will put more focus during his five-year tenure.

Prof Muhwezi, who served as Acting Principal of the institution that is affiliated to Makerere University for the past one-and-a-half years, was officially appointed by President Museveni on November 3.

He stepped into acting role following the departure of his predecessor, Prof. Waswa Balunywa, who led Mubs for 26 years.

“I, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, do hereby appoint Prof Moses Muhwezi on local contract as Principal, Makerere University Business School, for a period of five years with effect from the date of assumption of duty,” the November 3 letter reads in part.

Prof Muhwezi becomes the second principal of Mubs in the institution’s 28-years’ journey.

In an interview with the Daily Monitor yesterday, Prof Muhwezi shared his plans for the institution and thanked President Museveni for entrusting him with one of the region’s leading business schools.

“I will ensure experts in business come and teach our learners, include them on research panels, and bring them in as guest lecturers to make studying practical. This means our graduates will not only have the knowledge but skills as well,” Prof Muhwezi stated.

He also plans to introduce a technical course alongside each student’s main programme to boost employability.

Additional technical programmes, like plumbing, mechanics and civil engineering, are being considered.

He said they are in discussions with the World Bank to establish a one-stop laboratory for this purpose.

Prof Muhwezi also aims to update Mubs’ curriculum to align with the competence-based curriculum that students joining the university in two years will have studied.

The State minister of Primary Education, Ms Joyce Kaducu, recently informed Members of Parliament that efforts are underway to ensure a competence-based curriculum for A-Level to ensure it is ready before the pioneer Uganda Certificate of Education candidates join Senior Five.

Prof Muhwezi said these students would join universities in two years and should find a similar curriculum in place.

His appointment has received praise from the university community, including his predecessor, Prof Balunywa, who served for 25 years.

Prof Balunywa, said: “I congratulate him. The process took too long for obvious reasons. Now that he has the mandate, he has a clean piece of paper to leave a footprint.”

Brief biography

Prof Muhwezi is a Professor of Public Procurement and Supply Chain Management with 29 years of experience in academia. He holds a PhD in Public Procurement from the University of Twente (Netherlands), an MPhil in Public Procurement from the Maastricht School of Management (Netherlands), an MBA in Finance and Accounting, and a Bachelor of Commerce, both from Makerere University. 

Beyond academia, Prof Muhwezi has held roles as an accountant and an auditor in the Office of the Auditor General. Since 1995, he has risen through the ranks at Makerere University and Mubs from a teaching assistant to a professor. 

He also founded Kirembe High School in Mitooma District and has examined 12 doctoral candidates and served as an external examiner at institutions such as the National University of Rwanda and Uganda Martyrs University.