General
Vice Chancellor Flags Off Aid Bududa Community Relief Items
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe on the morning of Friday, 2nd November 2018 flagged off an assortment of relief items under the Aid Bududa Community (ABC) initiative to Bududa District. Launched on 15th October 2018, the ABC is spearheaded by the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) and will be carried out in two phases; the Benevolent Phase 1 and Scientific Phase 2.
“We thank the Management, entire Makerere University Community and our friends for supporting Phase 1 of the initiative. We particularly thank our sister associations MASA (Makerere University Academic Staff Association), NUEI (National Union of Educational Institutions of Uganda-Makerere University Branch), the Chaplaincies and the University Mosque who tirelessly worked with us to achieve this objective,” remarked MUASA Chairperson Dr. Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi at the flag off ceremony.
According to Dr. Kamunyu, items collected under Benevolent Phase 1 of the ABC initiative included;
- Approximately 180 bales of clothes
- 5 bales of blankets
- 5 sacks of shoes
- 2,000kilogrammes of maize floor
- 1,000kilogrammes of beans
- 5,040 Not-For-Sale 96page exercise books
- 4,000 Nice Clear pens
- 3,500 pencils and
- An assortment of domestic items
The items will be delivered to Bududa District by a delegation comprising MUASA Executive and Members of Staff, Student leaders, as well as members of the student community.
Under the Scientific Phase 2, MUASA will work with the Makerere University Centre for Climate Change Research and Innovation (MUCCRI) to restore a plot of land using the landscape approach, so that communities exposed to similar environmental risks elsewhere can adopt the same preventive techniques. A team of Sociologists, Anthropologists, Mountain Hydrologists, Foresters, Environmentalists, Public Health Experts, Educationists, IT Specialists and a host of other experts from Makerere University and beyond will take part in Phase 2.
In his remarks, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe thanked the MUASA Chairperson, his Executive as well as the Makerere University Community including the student body for responding generously to the landslide disaster in Bududa especially through a phased approach.
“Makerere University is easily the biggest brand name in the Country and it is within our social responsibility that we are seen to be strategically responding to disaster. I believe that what we have been able to do through the ABC initiative will go a long way to help victims of the Bududa landslides” remarked the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Nawangwe particularly commended the innovative branded stationery, which he said would bring hope to landslide victims and take their mind off the disaster. He also commended MUASA for thinking about Phase 2, which will more importantly enable Makerere University to work with the Bududa community to change the way they live.
“Phase 2 of the ABC initiative will help our communities to view Makerere University in a different light. As experts in different fields, we have the responsibility to not only lend a helping hand but also give guidance to communities on how they can live better, especially if there is suffering,” said Prof. Nawangwe.
“I am equally happy to see our students here, smartly dressed in their undergraduate gowns. On behalf of the University Council and Management, I thank you MUASA for spearheading this initiative and it is now my pleasure to flag off this consignment of relief items to Bududa” concluded the Vice Chancellor.
Article by Public Relations Office
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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