General
UTL to power Makerere’s Up-Country Campuses
Uganda Telecom has entered a partnership with Makerere University in which the telecommunication giant will provide a range of communication services to run the university’s learning centers.
Uganda Telecom has entered a partnership with Makerere University in which the telecommunication giant will provide a range of communication services to run the university’s learning centers.
In the partnership, Uganda Telecom will provide all the infrastructure and technical support needed to run the study centers, while Makerere University will buy Internet bandwidth and leased lines from the communication provider at a rate to be agreed upon for the duration of the partnership. Uganda Telecom will initially buy 100 computers and 100 UPS systems in the first year and grow this to 2000 sets by the fifth year of the partnership.
At a ceremony to mark the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Makerere University and Uganda Telecom held in the Council Room, Makerere University on 11th January 2010, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, welcomed Eng. AbdulBasset Elazzabi, Uganda Telecom’s 
Managing Director and his team to the historic event. The Managing Director was accompanied by among others, The Chief Technical Officer, Ghadfi Mohamed, Donald Nyakairu, The Chief Legal Counsel, and The Public Relations Manager, Mark Kaheru.
Prof. Baryamureba said that the partnership demonstrates that government institutions can partner with the private sector in a cost sharing mode to bring much needed services to the people. He further noted that Uganda Telecom has been a major provider for Internet services at Makerere University and is now joining the University in supporting its programs beyond the commercial. “This project is going to help us bring Makerere University to the people. In essence, people outside Kampala will no longer need to come to the man campus for education, but can receive the same high quality education nearer to them,” he explained.
Eng. AbdulBasset Elazzabi , Uganda Telecom's Managing Director in his remarks noted that “As a premier 
corporate citizen, it is our responsibility to participate in the development of the community in which we do business. We are proud to be the first communications company in Uganda to undertake this kind of partnership that will go along way in delivering high quality education to Ugandans in various parts of the country,”
Eng. Elazzabi further explained the partnership goes beyond commercial interests but is intended to provide a much needed national service that is critical in the development of the country’s human resource through technology. “We are very pleased to be part of this program, the first of its kind that will enable more Ugandans access to education.”
The initial study centers will be in Jinja and Fort-Portal and are expected to initially admit 1000 students in the first year and grow each year. The study centers are expected to start operations in February 2010.
Uganda Telecom is involved in various other education initiatives such as the Kulika Chartable Trust in which the best students who are unable to raise money for higher education are given scholarships to enable them pursue their dreams.
Prof. Baryamureeba then thanked Uganda Telecom Limited for taking this step to partner with Makerere University and called upon other stakeholders to come and partner with the university as there were a number of other programs that accord them mileage for their respective brands. He also thanked members of the press present for the positive coverage that their media houses have accorded Makerere University.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed Makerere University Chancellor Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga as Uganda’s Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament.
The appointment was announced on May 26, 2026, as part of the cabinet reshuffle for the 2026–2031 government term. Dr. Kiyonga now assumes one of the senior leadership positions in government while continuing to serve as Chancellor of Makerere University.
Dr. Kiyonga is both Chancellor and alumnus of Makerere University. He studied at Makerere University School of Medicine from 1973 to 1978, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB). He later obtained a Master of Health Science in Population Dynamics from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in 2004.
Born on September 19, 1952, in Kasese District, Dr. Kiyonga attended Bwera Primary School, Nyakasura School, and Kings College Budo before joining Makerere University.
He was appointed Chancellor of Makerere University in August 2024 and formally installed in October 2024, succeeding Professor Ezra Suruma.
Political and Public Service Career
Dr. Kiyonga entered national politics during Uganda’s 1980 elections, where he won a parliamentary seat on the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) ticket. He later joined the National Resistance Movement during the liberation struggle and subsequently served in several senior government positions after 1986.
He represented Bukonjo County West in Parliament from 1980 to 2016 and was also a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1995 Constitution.
Over the years, Dr. Kiyonga has held several ministerial portfolios, including:
- Minister for Cooperatives and Marketing
- Minister of Finance
- Minister of Internal Affairs
- Minister of Health
- Minister without Portfolio
- Minister of Defence
During his tenure as Minister of Health, he played a key role in Uganda’s response to the Ebola outbreak in Gulu in 2000.
From 2016, he served as Uganda’s Ambassador to China, where he represented Uganda during a significant period of Uganda-China relations.
Dr. Kiyonga’s appointment marks a return to frontline government leadership after several years in diplomatic service and university leadership.
Significance for Makerere
As Chancellor, Dr. Kiyonga serves as the titular head of Makerere University and presides over major ceremonial functions, including graduation ceremonies.
His appointment reflects the longstanding contribution of Makerere University alumni to public service and national leadership in Uganda and across the region.
Speaking during his installation as Chancellor in 2024, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, noted that Dr. Kiyonga’s experience and networks would support the advancement of the university.
Makerere University congratulates Chancellor Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga upon his appointment and wishes him success in his new role.
The Writer is a Volunteer in the Public Relations Office, Makerere University and the Mak Sharks PRO | Est. 2014
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