Makerere University Council in December 2023 appointed Dr Godfrey Kawooya Kubiriza as Head, Department of Zoology, Entomology, and Fisheries Sciences at the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS). Dr Kubiriza will serve in the position for a period of four years effective March 2024. He takes on from Dr Eric Sande who has held the position since 2016.
Dr. Kubiriza holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Fisheries and Aquaculture from Makerere University, a postgraduate diploma in Sustainable Aquaculture Management from the United Nations University-FisheriesTraining programe-Iceland, an MSc degree in Aquaculture and Fisheries Sciences, specializing in Fish Nutrition from the University of Malawi (Bunda College of Agriculture), and a PhD in Aquaculture Sciences with a bias in fish Nutrition from the University of Iceland (HI), Reykjavik, Iceland. He is a fellow of the United Nations University Fisheries training Programme (UNUFTP), a member of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics & Trade (IIFET), the World Aquaculture Society and International Association of Fisheries Inspectors (IAFAI).
He teaches Fish nutrition to MSc and PhD students in partnering universities. He is interested in novel studies investigating alternative protein sources to replace the expensive fishmeal from fish feeds. He has particular interests in the use of natural antioxidants to stabilize lipid oxidation in livestock (including fish) feeds as well as examining their effects on farmed fish. He is kin at providing support to sustainable commercialization of aquaculture in Uganda, and East Africa in general through aqua-feed research. He has widely published and is currently engaged in numerous research projects, the most recent being the INNOECOFOOD Project that aims to establish innovative production/ business ECOHUBS and improve local aquaculture cage farms in lakes and rivers using AI and IoT in six diverse African countries, Uganda inclusive.
At the handover ceremony held on 4th March 2024 at the Department premises, the outgoing Head, Dr Eric Sande appreciated the University and College Management for the support extended to him. He also appreciated the staff for their support and cooperation that has enabled the department to register several achievements including; i) the review of curricula of various programmes namely; BSC (Zoology), BSc. Fisheries and Aquaculture, and MSC Zoology; ii) development of new programmes – a Post Graduate Diploma in Zoology (PGDZ), a Bachelor of Science External and a PhD by coursework and dissertation; and iii) the formation of the Biology Society of Uganda to boost performance in the subject of Biology. Besides teaching, ZEFS staff are engaged in numerous research projects and almost all have had a RIF project. A ZEFS staff member, Prof. C. Masembe was one of the 49 outstanding researchers who received the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award for 2023. The Department project – Collaborative training in fisheries and aquaculture in East, Central and Southern Africa (COTRA) has attracted international students to come and do their MSC and PhD at ZEFS, and through the PESCA project in 2023, ZEFS trained 210 fish farmers, fish hatcheries operators, Fish processors, Fish feed processors from 80 districts of Uganda. Other achievements included the naming of new species of moth -Megaherpystis akiteae in honour of Dr Perpetra Akite; and new bat species- Pseudomoromicia Kityoi, in honour of Dr. Kityo Robert.
In his remarks, Dr Kubiriza appreciated the outgoing Head for the achievements registered thus far. He expressed gratitude to the University Council and Management for the appointment, and called for maximum cooperation to further build and strengthen the Department. The Deputy Principal of CoNAS appreciated outgoing Head and pledged support to the new Head.
