General
Mak Search for Chancellor Commences
The search process for the next Makerere University Chancellor has officially kicked off today-Tuesday 25th August 2015. The Search Committee is calling upon members of the public to participate in the search process by nominating qualified and reputable Ugandans for the position of Chancellor of Makerere University.
“Members of the public with consent of the Nominee may send in letters of nomination, and curriculum vitae signed by the Nominee, copies of academic qualifications; testimonials; names and full addresses of three referees. Nominations with the Nominees’ contact details should reach the Office of the University Secretary by 5:00pm on Wednesday 9th September, 2015,” highlighted the Chairperson of the Search Committee, Mr. Bruce B. Kabaasa.
The Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act stipulates that the Chancellor is the Titular Head of the University and presides at all assemblies, confers degrees, other academic titles and distinctions of the University.
The new Chancellor will succeed Prof. George Mondo Kagonyera who has served as a Chancellor of Makerere University for two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2015.
“Prof. George Mondo Kagonyera’s second and final four year term as Chancellor of Makerere University will come to an end on 23rd October 2015. The Makerere University Council, which is the supreme governing body of the University, approved the commencement of the Search Process for the next Chancellor,” said Associate Prof. Ernest Okello Ogwang, Acting Vice Chancellor of Makerere University.
Associate Prof. Okello Ogwang added that the Makerere University Council set up a Committee comprising five (5) Members to search for the next Chancellor of Makerere University. The Search Committee comprises the Chairperson-Mr. Bruce B. Kabaasa, and four Members namely-Mr. Stephen B. Maloba, Mr. John Chris Ninsiima, Dr. Euzobia Baine Mugisha and Dr. Sarah Ssali. The Chairperson of the Search Committee, Mr. Bruce Kabaasa expressed the readiness of his team to perform the task assigned to them, exhibit the highest level of integrity and confidentiality throughout the search process and submit a report to the Makerere University Council before 23rd October 2015.
Mr. Kabaasa emphasized the need for those nominating candidates for the position of Chancellor to ensure that they are eligible for nomination.
For a candidate to be eligible for nomination, he/she must:
a) Be a citizen of Uganda
b) Have at least a Bachelor’s Degree (Honours) from a recognised institution of higher learning
c) Have relevant managerial experience
d) Be a person of high integrity, and should have good public relations with the ability to market and internationalise the University
e) Be aged not less than 55years and not more than 75 years at the time of nomination
The Chancellor of Makerere University does not receive regular emoluments but he/she is facilitated whenever he/she comes to the University for Official Duties. The Chancellor holds office for a period of four years but shall be eligible for reappointment for one more term.
Members of the public are however advised not to nominate serving Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of Universities as well as any individual currently registered as a student in any University.
The next Chancellor will be the third Non-Head of State Chancellor of Makerere University. He/She will succeed Prof. George Mondo Kagonyera-the Second Non-Head of State Chancellor of Makerere University. Prior to Prof. Mondo Kangonyera’s term as Chancellor, Prof. Apolo Robin Nsibambi served as the first non-Head of State Chancellor of Makerere University from 2003 to 2007.
The Secretariat to the Search Committee comprises Mr. Charles Barugahare, Acting University Secretary and Mr. Goddy Muhumuza, Senior Legal Officer, Makerere University.
Please see Downloads for the Committee’s Terms of Reference and more details.
The deadline for nomination of suitable candidates is 5:00pm on Wednesday, 9th September 2015.
Article by: Mak Public Relations Office
Downloads
Makerere University staff have been urged to embrace servant leadership, integrity and compassion as they prepare to welcome students for the 2026/2027 Academic Year.
The call was made during the Makerere University Staff Prayer Breakfast held on 31st July 2026 at St. Francis Students Centre Upper Hall under the theme “Faithful Stewards: A Servant Heart with Integrity and Wisdom,” drawn from Colossians 3:23–24 and Mark 10:35–45.
The prayer breakfast brought together members of Council, University Management, academic, and administrative staff to dedicate the new academic year to God while reflecting on their responsibility of serving students with excellence, humility and integrity.
A Call to Seek God’s Wisdom
Host Rev. Dr. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa reminded staff that no amount of professional experience or academic expertise can replace God’s guidance.
She noted that the University’s mission can only be fulfilled when staff continually seek God’s wisdom in serving students and one another.
“There is no amount of experience or expertise that can replace God’s wisdom.”
Rev. Dr. Kitayimbwa observed that students remain the reason universities exist and challenged staff to approach their work as a calling rather than merely employment.
“Without students, there is no university,” she said, encouraging members of staff to remain united, avoid unhealthy competition and trust God as they begin another academic year.
She further urged staff to become faithful stewards who work together in harmony, which she summed up as, “United we stand; divided we fall.”
A Community, Not Just a Centre of Research
In her remarks, Dean of Students Dr. Winnie Kabumbuli welcomed the Council Chairperson, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Members of Management to the breakfast, and reminded staff that a university’s value cannot be measured by research and innovation alone.
She described Makerere as a community held together by the spiritual as well as academic wellbeing of its people, and called on staff to renew their commitment to one another as much as to the institution they serve.
Draw Inspiration From Stewardship
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Prof. Sarah Ssali told staff that this year’s breakfast carried special significance.
“This is the first prayer breakfast we are having ever since we launched our strategic plan,” she said, referring to the University’s new Strategic Plan, launched on 2nd July 2026.
She encouraged staff to hold on to the morning’s reflections as a guide for implementing the plan over the next five years, describing Makerere as an institution many families choose above all others for the vision and training it offers their children. She urged staff to see themselves as stewards of that trust rather than simply employees carrying out a job.
Compassion and Discipline Must Go Together
Delivering her remarks, Makerere University Council Chairperson Dr. Lorna Magara challenged staff to strike a balance between compassion and discipline when dealing with students.
She observed that many students face different personal and academic challenges, making encouragement and timely support essential throughout their university journey.
“A word of encouragement can restore hope and prevent costly mistakes,” she noted.
Dr. Lorna encouraged lecturers and administrators to respond promptly to students’ concerns, explaining that delays, insensitive decisions and abuse of authority can discourage students and negatively affect their academic experience.
She reminded staff that students often remember how they were treated long after they have forgotten what was taught in class.
“Students may eventually forget what we teach them, but they will always remember how we treated them.”
She added that education goes beyond transferring knowledge.
“Education is more than knowledge. We communicate life, character and values.”
Quoting Mark 10, Dr. Lorna called upon staff to embrace servant leadership by exercising authority with humility, integrity and accountability.
She encouraged members of staff to ask themselves whether they would treat every student the same way ashey would treat their own child.
“We may not always have all the answers,” she said, “but we can communicate honestly, take responsibility and treat every student with dignity.”
She concluded by urging different colleges and administrative units to work together instead of operating in isolation, noting that unity strengthens the University community.
Referring to Galatians 6:2, she reminded staff to carry one another’s burdens and remain faithful stewards of the responsibility entrusted to them.
Servant Leadership Begins with Faithfulness
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. James Magara, husband to Dr. Lorna Magara, called on members of staff to embrace servant leadership grounded in humility, faithfulness and service to others.
Drawing from Mark 10:35–45, Dr. Magara reflected on the account in which James and John asked Jesus for positions of honour in His kingdom, prompting discontent among the other disciples. He observed that despite walking closely with Christ, the disciples continued to struggle with the desire for status and recognition. He noted that such competition remained evident even during the Last Supper, where concerns over positions and prominence persisted.
Dr. Magara said that Jesus responded to these human tendencies by redefining leadership through service rather than authority. He described Christ’s act of washing the disciples’ feet as the ultimate demonstration of servant leadership, explaining that genuine leaders are willing to undertake even the humblest responsibilities in service of others.
Referencing Philippians 2, he urged staff to emulate Christ’s humility and selflessness, contrasting it with the pride and self-exaltation illustrated in Isaiah 14. He emphasised that lasting influence and greatness are not measured by titles, positions or recognition, but by one’s willingness to serve faithfully and put the needs of others before personal ambition.
Drawing on his own leadership journey spanning several decades, Dr. Magara challenged leaders across the University to cultivate humility, integrity and a servant heart in the execution of their responsibilities. He cautioned that leadership driven by pride and personal ambition undermines both individual effectiveness and institutional progress, whereas servant leadership strengthens organisations and fosters lasting impact.
The prayer breakfast concluded with a call for unity and collective commitment as Makerere University prepares to begin a new academic year. Organisers noted that the reflections on stewardship, integrity and servant leadership would provide a strong foundation for the University community as it advances the implementation of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025–2030.
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