Pius Kikomeko & Harriet Musinguzi
From 9th to 11th December 2025, a multidisciplinary team of engineering students from the Makerere University School of Engineering, in collaboration with Engineers Without Borders East Africa (EWB-EA), undertook a critical field visit to Kasozi Health Center III under EWB-EA’s WALLACE project.
The three-day excursion was designed to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world community needs. The primary objective was to carry out comprehensive surveys across several key technical areas, including water, energy, machinery, biomedical engineering, public health, topography and others. Using the data acquired from these surveys, the students are now tasked with developing sustainable, investment-ready models to address the health center’s current shortcomings. The ultimate goal is to create solutions that are manageable by the health center staff using the resources currently available to them.
The visit was facilitated by Ms. Beatrice Mucunguzi, President of the Rotaract Club of Kiwenda. Ms. Mucunguzi, who maintains a strong working relationship with the facility through her club’s previous initiatives, welcomed the team upon arrival. She provided a crucial background on the health center, outlining the historical challenges it has faced and highlighting areas where the Rotaract Club has previously intervened to improve conditions.
To ensure a deep understanding of the facility’s needs, Ms. Mucunguzi introduced the EWB-EA and School of Engineering teams to the health center’s staff. Two nurses assisted the students during their inspections, fielding queries regarding daily operations and helping the teams identify specific points of improvement.
The teams also had a significant engagement with the Health Center Incharge, Ms. Namatta Betty. She provided a comprehensive overview of the facility’s administrative landscape, guiding the students through:
- Human Resources and Finance: Understanding the expenditure and staffing structure.
- Operational Context: Insights into the patient population served and the referral systems in place.
- Future Plans: Ms. Betty shared the center’s strategic goals, including the identification of a specific site on the land for future borehole drilling to address water needs.
This initiative represents a vital opportunity for School of Engineering students to engage directly with the community and apply their technical skills to make a lasting impact. We extend a very big thank you to Engineers Without Borders East Africa (EWB-EA) for bringing this opportunity to the School of Engineering and for empowering the next generation of Uganda’s developers to create meaningful change.
Posted by Isemaghendera Alex, IT Officer, CEDAT