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Mr. David Kahundha Muhwezi
Technical Consultant for University Governance and Management.
Areas of Practice:
He is a Technical Consultant for University Governance and Management, Karamoja Peace And Technology University.
Overview And Experience
Cause-driven Public and Private Sector Management Expert with over 25 years of professional experience in corporate governance, Financial Management, Budget Preparation and Management, Performance Management, General Administration, and Coordination of Operations in public institutions particularly Universities, Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets, Managing Evaluations, Human Resource Planning and Development, Organizational learning and Knowledge Management. I have a wealth of experience in Public administration, accountability enforcement, audit coordination and supervision of the preparation of budgets, financial statements and reports, enforcement of and compliance with Financial Management regulations and laws. As a Management and Governance specialist with strength in General Management, institutional governance /corporate governance that looks at how effective Boards function, institutional strengthing and functioning /organisational development, financial management, procurement management and Monitoring and Evaluation. He has wealth of experience an accounting officer in a government department, Wealth of experience in Governance of Digital Financial Technology.
I hold a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Makerere University (Uganda) and a Bachelor Degree of Commerce (Management) second class Honors from Makerere University. I have also attended a number of Short courses in Public Sector Management, Finance and Administration that include; Certificate in Skills Improvement for Middle Level Managers at Uganda Management Institute in Uganda, Certificate in Management Development Programme with focus on Management for young Executives at Makerere University Business School in Uganda and Certificate in the Balanced Score Card by the Universite Virtuelle Afraine, Makerere University Campus. All these trainings have enhanced my work performance at different Levels in supervisory and leadership positions held throughout my career.
I was the University Secretary charged with University administration, custodian of University Seal, responsible for Assets (Land, vehicles , Buildings and computers). I was the secretary to the University Council (Board) responsible for setting Agenda with the Chairman of the Board, taking Board minutes, advising the Board and its committees, communicating Board decisions to stakeholders (staff and students) and ensuring that Board decisions were implemented and providing feedback to the Board; induction of the new Board Members, ensuring that there was performance evaluation of the Board and its committees and I was responsible for Corporate Governance. As a University Secretary, I enforced compliance with deadlines for different sections in the University, ensured good information flow in the Board and its Committee. I ensured that there was Board Compliance with the statutory obligations and Regulations, Policies and Procedures.
I was the Accounting Officer for a period of 5 and a half years(2010 to 2015 ) . I was in charge of the University vote in charge of Finances, Human Resources and payroll and I ensured proper staff recruitment practices, results oriented management by use of Budget Output Tool (BOT) – a tool that monitored and evaluated performance of: Procurement plans, recruitment and staff promotion plans and work plans (activities). I ensured timely communication by introducing intranet in all administrative offices and maintained the staff payroll of over 3,400 employees of the University. I ensured proper Procurement and Disposal of assets in the University and properly maintained the assets of the University. I initiated partnerships and signed Memoranda of Understanding with development partners and many Universities across the world.
During my term of Office, we created Grants Management Units in Colleges which were centrally monitored. The Grants Management Units were mandated to document development partners/funders on who they were and what they were funding. We signed Memoranda of Understanding with most of those partners in terms of collaborative effort in Research funding; staff and students exchange programs and carrying out Joint research, enforcing Accountability amongst Researchers. These included North South Collaboration, Inter University Researches involving collaborative effort of Universities in the East and Central Africa and the West (Europe/America). Under my Leadership, we were able to document the activities of development partners/philanthropic organizations’ activities, partnerships and Networks.
As an Accounting Officer, I had an opportunity to manage donor funded projects and also interfaced with them (funders) in determining fundable priorities areas for support. These included Rockefeller foundation, World Bank, USAID, SIDA, IDRC, DANIDA, Welcome Trust, Melinda and Gates, Carnage Corporation of New York, Master Card Foundation, MC Arthur Foundation and DAAD among others. I was able to appreciate their financial management systems and requirements, that later improved financial management in the university.
During my term of office, we attracted a number of funders (big and small) ranging from USD 20,000 (twenty thousand) to USD 28,000,000 (twenty eight million). As an Accounting Officer, I managed Public expenditure and investment at the University. I approved public expenditure in the University and ensured that there was value for money, proper votes were charged, books of accounts were kept, monthly bank reconciliations were made, and Budgets were made and approved by the Board and monitored continuously. I ensured that financial statements like statement of financial position, statement of comprehensive income, Cash Flow Statement, statement of changes in equity were prepared quarterly and annually and submitted to Government of the Republic Uganda (Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development). I was mandated under the Public Procurement and Disposal Act 2003 and Regulations 2014 to handle the Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets at Makerere University. I appointed members of Contracts Committee and subcontract Committees after approval by the Secretary to the Treasury Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Uganda, provided oversight of contract Management, provided oversight of the whole Procurement Process right from preparation of bid documents, advertising, selection of bidders, awarding of contracts, resolving conflicts during the procurement process whenever they would emerge and I would ensure results and timeliness were achieved. I was in charge of all logistics functions at University including management of over 400 motor Vehicles and a number of motorcycles in terms of fuel, repairs and ensuring their effective use.
I was part of the team that made Administrative system reforms, which transformed Makerere University from a faculty-based system to a College-based Governance system and the gains have been great. I also oversaw the restructuring of the Procurement function by decentralizing it from the Centre to colleges that saw the creation of sub contract committees, sub procurement and Disposal units that have eased the Procurement function and administration. As part of University reforms; new policies aimed at frugal University running were initiated, approved and implemented during my tenure as an Accounting Officer. These include; reducing the Board Committees from 14 to 8 and introduction of an Audit committee which was non- existent before. The terms of reference of the Board were restructured, e-Governance was introduced, and Governance web page was introduced on the University website for the first time in the history of the Makerere University.
Under my leadership, the financial system was restructured by introducing online payment system whereby authorization of every expenditure was done on line. Payment of fees by students is today being done on line and this made the process of revenue collection easy for the University with a student population of 40,000. This innovation enriched my experience in Leadership.
As part of the team we designed Financial Reforms and Chart of Accounts for public Universities in Uganda spearheaded by Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Uganda. As a member of the top Management team, I participated in the review of the Human Resource Manual addressing a number of HR aspects like; Human resource Planning, Performance Management, Reward systems, Staff training and development, recruitment procedures, discipline procedures, response to industrial actions, career guidance, staff motivation and staff retirement management. I was the focal person for Makerere University in the implementation of the Financial Information systems code named Computerized Education Management & Accounting System (CEMAS) introduced by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MFPED) to reform the financial management system in public Universities of Uganda.
I have international experience and exposure from countries/cities traveled to on official duty like USA (New York, Washington, Detroit, Michigan), Ethiopia (Adisababa), Zambia (Lusaka & Victoria Falls), China (Beijing), Thailand (Bangkok), South Africa (Johannesburg& Pretoria), Thailand (Bangkok), Japan (Tokyo, Yokohama & Saitama cities), UAE (Dubai), S. Africa (Johannesburg& Pretoria cities), Canada (Greater Toronto city, Niagara Falls) and Republic of Ireland (Dublin &Galway Cities.
Employment Experience And Achievements
July 2015 to date: Board member Micro pay Uganda Ltd. Committee member of the Board finance and ICT; Human Resources and governance committees
1st January 2010-30th June 2015: University Secretary/ Accounting Officer/Secretary to Council (Board Secretary) of Makerere University
Achievements:
As secretary to Council (Board Secretary) I registered the following achievements
- Introduction of e-Governance
- Creation of a web page on Governance
- Efficiency in taking minutes and filling them
- Restructuring of Board Committees from 14-8
- Induction of New Board members
- Improved Communication among Board members
- I ensured that policies were prepared and approved by council and these were; restructuring of the procurement function, Admission of students, Human Resource Policies, Business continuity policies, Finance policies, Audit policies, Governance Policies among others and were posted on the Makerere University Website mak.ac.ug
Achievements as University Accounting Officer
- Coordinated the budget process including budget preparation and monitoring implementation
- I ensured proper human resource recruitment, development and reward policies
- Established a reliable pension scheme
- Ensured proper performance management by introducing computerized employee performance appraisals and monitored the implementation of the staff assessment recommendations
- I ensured proper human resource management in the University including remunerations and retirement management
- I promoted learning and proper knowledge management
- Ensured efficient projects management including planning, monitoring and evaluation
- Ensured timely preparation and submission of financial reports to the Board, government and Development partners
- Ensured that the investment projects would receive funds and implement projects timely and during my time, it is when the University Kiira EV -a solar powered car and the first of its kind in Africa was
- The overhaul of University aging infrastructure like renovation of buildings, overhaul of toilets, roads, water drainage among others.
- Construction of new facilities for example, a new library extension-one of the largest in Africa and many other new buildings were constructed under my
- The ranking of the University improved from 59 in 2010 to amongst the first 10 in Africa during my
- In research the University ranked the second in Africa by the time my contract
- The university also competed in many innovation competitions for example under the resilience project, Makerere University competed amongst the top notch Universities in the world mostly in The United States of America and Makerere emerged the best;
- The number of students and staff strikes were reduced during my term of office
- Audit queries were highly reduced by approximately 90%
- I spearheaded the restructuring of the Procurement function in which sub procurement and Disposal Units and sub contract committees were created under decentralized procurement
- A procurement manual was developed and approved by the Board
- Timely submission of Financial reports to the Board, Government and Development partners
- I spearheaded the development of Financial manual which was approved by the Board
- Assets register and maintenance were put in place improved
- Monitoring expenditure was regularly
- Annually, I would appear before the Parliament of Uganda under different committees to defend the University as an Accounting
- I documented the University land as a custodian of the University
- I spearheaded the introduction of online payment system at the
- I reduced the number of bank Accounts from over 120 to around
- I strengthened the Audit directorate by creating an audit committee and recruitment of
- Professional Auditors’.
- I strengthened the University partnerships and Networks ensuring that Memoranda of Understanding were signed in time and agreed positions and timelines were
- The 90 year old University registered the highest donor funding ever during my term of Office, the major funders were; SIDA, NOHED,.USAID, Welcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates, MasterCard, CDC, NIH, DANIDA, Rockefeller Foundation, Carnegie Cooperation of New York, among others.
- As an Accounting I have gathered a wealth of knowledge on how Government Ministries, Departments, Local governments, and Agencies work because I had several assignments, meetings, workshops and one on one interaction with Officials from different sectors which enriched my Public Sector management
- As a University Secretary I was at the Center of Institutional reforms such as Restructurings of University Programs and Curriculum
2005-2009: Senior Assistant Bursar (Financial Reporting), Makerere University
Responsibilities:
- Preparation of University financial statements like statement of financial position, financial performance and cash-flows
- Enforcing
- Preparation of periodic management
- Supervision of accounting
- Mentoring and guidance of staff under the financial reporting
Achievements
- Prepared University financial statements like statement of financial position, financial performance and cash flows statements and submitted them in
- Coordinated the accountability and enforcement
- Prepared periodic management
- Supervised the accounts staff.
2002-2005: Senior Assistant Bursar (Accounts), Makerere University Responsibilities
- Coordination of revenue collection
- Preparation of revenue reports
- Supervision of staff
- Communication to students
- Managing Expenditure
- Managing Cash flows
- Preparation of management reports
- Providing leadership of Staff in Accounts section
- Budget monitoring
Achievements:
- There was increase of revenue collection from 44billion UGX to over 98billion UGX on internally generated funds
- Timely and Effective revenue collection
- Timely revenue and management reports were made and submitted to the relevant authorities
- Provided leadership to Staff in Accounts section on effective financial management
- Ensured timely Budget preparation and monitoring 1994-2002 : Senior Administrative Assistant
Responsibilities
- Book keeping
- Preparation of Bank reconciliations
- Supervising staff
Achievements:
- Proper Books of accounts
- Preparation of Bank reconciliations in a timely manner
- Supervised and appraised 40 staff.
BOARD GOVERNANCE MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
2022 – 2023: Director Butare scholarship fund and JKD Business solutions Ltd
2006-2009: Board Secretary of Board of Trustees of -Makerere University Retirement Scheme
Responsibilities
- Enforcement of Board governance
- Members’ education through sensitization
- Communication to members
- Minute taking and filing
- Ensuring that members Benefits are paid by authorizing payments
- Ensuring that the Budget of the Scheme is made, approved and well managed
- Ensuring that strategic plan and strategic choices of the Board of Trustees are adhered
Achievements:
- Ensured that Board meetings took place as scheduled
- Took minutes and ensured proper filling
- Ensured that strategic plan and strategic choices of the Board of Trustees were adhered
- Prepared periodic reports to Stakeholders on Board performance
2010-2015: Member of the Board of Trustees- Infectious Disease Institute 2015-Todate: Board Member- Micropy Uganda Ltd
2017-todate: Chairman School Management Committee- Mujwa Primary School-Ntungamo District.
Awards
- Award in recognition of outstanding contribution to the University Sports awarded in 2014 by Makerere University Sports.
- An award from The 2013-2014 Awards of UGANDA WHO is WHO Book of records: the key contributors towards social economic transformation of Uganda and attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development goals in Uganda page 109, by The Public Opinion People Performance Annual Review 2013.
- A Visionary Award by the People of Uganda in recognition of outstanding contribution to the National Development, awarded in 2013 by the Visionary Awards Committee of Uganda.
- Best Administrator of the Year Awarded by Administrative Staff Association (MASA) of Makerere University, 2006.
- Best Innovative Administrator of the year Award, by Administrative Association (MASA) of Makerere University, 2006
- Certificate of Appreciation for Successfully running University sports activities in the University 2011-2012.
Research And Project Experience
2023: Development of two successful business proposals for Sai Pali Institute of Technology and Management (SITM).
2009: Principal Investigator of research project, “The challenges of Gender Mainstreaming in Fostering Good governance in Uganda: A case of Makerere University” sponsored by NORAD.
2009: MBA research Dissertation entitled, “Corporate Governance Disclosure and Financial Performance in Makerere University.”
2007: Project Director of Business Continuity Planning (BCP) Project at FINCA Uganda Ltd. 2006 Member of the Ugandan steering committee on the research of Gender Equity in Commonwealth Higher Education: An Examination of Sustainable Interventions in selected Common Wealth Universities. http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pub/fils/genderequity
2001-2006: Team Leader for Capacity Building Project on the Feasibility Study on Training Needs Assessment, pilot training, and full project implementation for Capacity Building in Financial Management and Basic Accounting for Deans, Directors, Heads and Staff of Departments of Makerere University. This Project was funded by Rockefeller Foundation and World Bank. The Project’s main objective was to assess the competences of these Deans/directors/University Administrators and Heads of Departments in the areas of –
- Basic Accounting
- Budgeting and Budget Administration
- Taxation
- Income Generation, Project Financing and Resource Mobilization
- Assets Management
- Accountability
- Financial Policy and Corporate Strategy
2005: Grants Manager and Project Director of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention in Secondary Schools of Ntungamo Development Network-Uganda under AIM-Uganda sponsored by USAID.
2002: Presented a paper at a Gender matters conference at National University of Ireland, Galway entitled Gender Budgeting in Universities of Uganda: A reality or a myth. It can be accessed on www.Iiavin/epublication.gender.makerere
2002: Presented a paper at the 8th women’s world congress held at Makerere University on Gains and challenges of sponsoring women education in Universities of Uganda: A case of Makerere University.
2001: Member of the Team that prepared the Finance Information System (FINIS) Under Makerere University Information Communication Technologies (ICT) project funded by NORAD. The tasks covered included: –
- Reviewing the work processes in the manual system and
- Sensitization of staff of the need for
- Training staff on the New FINIS applicable for Makerere
2000: Team Leader for Evaluation Report on the Performance of Income- Generating Units, of Makerere University. The tasks involved were:-
- To review the sources of income and expenditure patterns
- To assess the effectiveness of the internal controls
- To review the cash flow performance
- To recommend to the university actions to be
2000: Member of Strategic Plan 2000-2005 for Finance Department of Makerere University, Uganda in sub area of staffing in the Department. The tasks were: –
- Reviewing the current recruitment Policy
- Reviewing current promotions Policy
- Reviewing current remuneration and reward policy
- Reviewing current transfers and retirements policy
- Recommendations in each one reviewed
1999: Team Leader of a team that was charged with streamlining cash collection in Makerere University. The tasks were:-
- Review the mode of cash collection in the
- Make Recommendations
1997: Participated in Designing of a short course training. “Gender Training in Africa” funded by USAID in Women and Gender Studies Department, Makerere University.
1996: (i) Head of the team to look into the implementation of accounting system in University Students Halls of residence and Central Stores (Report of March, 1996), for Makerere University, Uganda.
- Secretary to the Review Committee of Revenue Streamlining in Revenue Office (Finance Department, Makerere University, Uganda).
- Secretary to the Review Committee of students Registration fee Headed by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Makerere University,
- Committee member to the Computerization of Finance Department of Makerere University,
- Head of the Committee to look into the revenue collected and banked by the revenue office of Finance Department of Makerere University U
1995/96: Supervisor of budgets of Income-Generating Units for the University on behalf of Makerere University.
1995: Head of Team that looked into the performance of Makerere University Income- Generating Units (Report of September, 1995) for Makerere University, Uganda.
1993: Research Assistant on a pilot study to obtain Baseline Data for monitoring and evaluation of changes in rural men’s and women’s income and resource utilization carried in Mukono, Mbarara, Bushenyi and Ntungamo Districts in Uganda under the sponsorship of USAID carried by Recon International.
1992: Research Assistant on the Project of Uganda Agricultural Marketing Study Sponsored by Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) carried by Recon International Limited. The Project was looking at 14 Crops, Mode of transporting them to the Market and the Profitability of each and the markets where they are sold i.e. local and international.
Social And Community Engagements
2009: Member of the Taskforce designing Reporting format and chart of Accounts in Public Universities of Uganda.
2008-Todate: Member of Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda 2007-08 Accountant for 5th All Africa University Games held in Kampala, Uganda.
2007: A Ugandan delegate to inspect facilities of World University Games 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand.
2007: I was nominated the best Makerere University Administrator and Best innovator of the year, 2006.
2006: I was appointed by the Vice chancellor of Makerere University as Games Accountant for the 5th all African University Games 2008 hosted by Makerere University and I was a member of Local organizing committee of those games and the planning process has started.
2006: Presented a paper to District engineers under capacity-building project for local governments Engineers conducted by Faculty of Technology, Makerere University.
2006: Advocated for Equity and workers’ rights for equal pay for work of equal value at Makerere University.
2006: I was Uganda’s 2nd delegate out of two to the world Basket Ball Congress in Tokyo, Japan.
2006: I was the team manager of Main building Makerere football team that was declared by sports Department of Makerere University as overall winners of University staff football competitions.
2006: I was elected the Board secretary of Makerere University retirement benefits scheme. As a member of the Board of Trustees we put up a trustee deed, rules and put up a new retirement scheme and as a Board secretary I was responsible for writing and keeping Board minutes, coordinating the Board activities and programs while ensuring that members of the scheme are informed of what the scheme is doing. I ensured that an investment policy of the scheme was designed and put in place, designed a governance structure / system and ensured that the custodian, fund managers and Administrator of the scheme are in place and doing their duties.
2006: I was appointed Team manager for Uganda’s University teams to the 4th all Africa University Games in Pretoria South Africa. Uganda was the 2nd to S. Africa out of 15 countries, which attended. It was the first time in Uganda’s history of sports that a Ugandan team got the highest number of 12 Gold Medals since independence in 1962.
2004-2009: Founding Chairman Makerere University Administrative staff Association with 250 members of staff.
Conferences And Seminars Attended
- Seminar on The Balanced Score Card at the Universite Virtuelle Africaine, Makerere University Campus, Uganda on 29th April.
- Certificate of attendance at Uganda Management Institute Skills Improvement for Middle level Managers from 19th February to 7th March.
- Certificate of attendance on a management Development Programme on focus on Management for young Executives from Makerere University Business School from 6th – 24th March.
- ICT Workshop of Makerere University at Hotel Triangle Jinja, March.
- Attended a Workshop on Performance of Private Programs of Makerere University in 2000 at Faculty of Law, Makerere University.
- Attended FIBA congress in Tokyo Japan August 2006.
- Represented Makerere University at a working Visit University of Toronto, Canada August 2005.
- Gender matters conference at National University of Ireland, Galway in 2002.