“Publish or Perish” is a well-known saying in academic and research circles — a caution to aspiring researchers to publish as much as possible or risk having their scientific contributions go unrecognised.
To mitigate that risk, the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) established the Uganda Journal of Agricultural Sciences in 1992 under the leadership of the then Director General, the late Prof. Joseph Mukiibi, who served as the founding Editor-in-Chief. The journal was created to offer a platform for local scientist to publish their work at a time when it was nearly impossible for African researchers to appear in international journals, due to high rejection rates.
Built on that strong foundation, the journal has since been led by five editors-in-Chief: Prof. Mukiibi (RIP), Dr. Silim Nahdy, Dr. Cyprian Ebong, Dr. Denis Kyetere, and Dr. Yona Baguma. It has gone on to publish close to 400 articles.
This history was shared by Dr. Yona Baguma, the Director General of NARO and outgoing Editor-in-Chief of the Uganda Journal of Agricultural Sciences, during the inauguration of the fifth Editorial Board.
The new board was officially ushered in on 15th April 2025 at the Aquaculture Research and Development Centre (ARDC) Kajjansi, with high expectations of steering the journal to greater heights. “A journal is as strong as the editorial Board,” Dr. Baguma said.
He appreciated the outgoing board for their achievements. He also highlighted the journal’s weaknesses, notably the long turnaround time for peer review, low submission rates, lack of an impact factor and irregular publishing timelines. He encouraged the new board to pick interest in addressing those areas.
The new board is a blend of young and seasoned scientists, international and local, and multidisciplinary. Therefore, it is well equipped to deliver on the expectations promised in the journal’s strategic plan.
The incoming editor in chief, Dr. Mugerwa Swidiq, expressed gratitude to the NARO leadership for their support to the journal. Dr. Mugerwa, who is also the NARO Deputy Director General in charge of Research Coordination, thanked the incoming board members for accepting the responsibility. He reminded them that serving on a board is a voluntary role: “Let us view this as intellectual charity — giving back to the community part of what has been given to us”.
He encouraged the team to go an extra mile to improve the publication record of the journal.
The chairperson of the NARO Governing Council, Dr. William Olaho Mukhani, highlighted the need to keep up with trends in science, build a network of reviewers, and ensure objectivity and fairness. He urged the new board to ensure quality
Editor in Chief
Dr. Swidiq Mugerwa
Systems Ecologist
National Agricultural Research Organisation
P.O Box 295, Entebbe Uganda
researchcoordination@naro.go.ug
Editor
Dr. Otim Michael
Plant Entomologist
National Agricultural Research Organisation
motim9405@gmail.com
Managing Editor
Ms. Victoria Mbigidde
National Agricultural Research Organisation
victoria.mbigidde@naro.go.ug
