General
VC Statement on the Fire Outbreak at the Main Building and Resumption of Classes for Finalists
Published
5 years agoon

1.0 REPORT ON THE FIRE OUTBREAK AT THE MAIN BUILDING
In the morning of Sunday 20th September 2020, at around half past midnight, a police patrol team at Makerere University noticed smoke coming out of the roof of the Makerere University Main Administration Building. The patrol team alerted the OC Makerere Police Station, who had been deployed at Nateete Police Station for the night. The OC Makerere Police Station at the time was in the CCTV control room and he zoomed the CCTV cameras to the Main Building and indeed the cameras could show that there was smoke coming out of the building. The OC Station alerted the Makerere University Chief Security Officer who rushed to the Mani Building immediately and arrived at the building about 12:47 am. He first saw smoke coming out of the roof above the offices of the Public Relations Department and soon after fire started coming out of the roof. He immediately alerted the control room to request the Fire Brigade to rush to the scene. The Chief Security Officer also alerted the Vice Chancellor and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, who both rushed to the scene. The Fire Brigade arrived at the scene at 1:10 am initially with 2 fire engines which did not have the capacity to jet water to the roof of the building. After about 30 minutes more fire engines with better capacity arrived, but by this time the fire had spread through a big part of the roof. The Fire Brigade managed to subdue the fire at around 4:00 am., but after the entire roof of the building had collapsed and the entire top floor of the building and the entire Finance Department had been burnt. The fire engines experienced a challenge with lack of a fire hydrant within and in the vicinity of the University and had to fetch water from the hydrants at the Fire Brigade Headquarters.
When it appeared to the Fire Brigade that the fire had been completely extinguished, despite smoke still coming off from the Central Registry, they left the site. Unfortunately, fire again broke out in the Council Room at 8:00 pm but the Fire Brigade arrived within 15 minutes and put out the fire within one hour. The Fire Brigade has been on standby on site, fighting small fires throughout the night.
The Main Administration Building is 79 years old, having been completed in 1941. It is an iconic building and is the symbol of higher education in Uganda and the entire East and Central African Region.
The building housed the offices of the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration, the University Secretary, The University Bursar, the Directorate of Human Resources, the Directorate of Internal Audit, the Public Relations Office and the Council Room. The Printery, which is located in the basement of the building was not affected. The building had been fitted with fire extinguishers for fire fighting but these became unusable since the fire started from the roof. Being an old building, it had not been fitted with fire alarms and water sprinklers.
The Main Building is guarded by the University’s security services and the Uganda Police. At the time of the fire outbreak, the officers on duty were inside the building near the entrance and they apparently did not notice the problem until they were alerted by the Chief Security Officer. Those officers are now under Police custody. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Directorate of Forensic Services of the Uganda Police have commenced investigations. Security on main campus has been strengthened.
Practically all the documents in the Directorates of Finance, Human Resource, including the Central Registry, and the Directorate of Internal Audit were destroyed. Fortunately, all hard copies of the financial documents for previous financial years had been moved to the archives, which was not affected by the fire. Similarly all old files in the Central Registry had been moved to the archives. Information of the staff in service has been digitalized and is safely kept on servers, which are not in the Main Building.
The financial documents for the Financial Year 2019/2020 are currently being audited by the Auditor General and were safely evacuated from the Main Building. With the move to the Integrated Finance Management System (IFMS) all financial transactions of the University are automatically backed up electronically at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. In addition, with the recent financial decentralization at the University, a considerable percentage of the financial documents are kept in the Colleges and administrative Units. All revenue collection including student fees, rent and other payments are received directly by URA, which then transfers the money to the consolidated fund. All payments are similarly made through the IFMS. Management therefore does not keep cash in offices as alleged by some social media reports and there was no loss of cash in the fire. Documents from the offices of the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (F&A) and some of the documents in the Office of the University Secretary which were not razed in the fire were also evacuated. Management is compiling the value of all property lost in the fire, based on the University Inventory and Board of Survey report, which was concluded at the end of August 2020.
All students related data including academic records is stored digitally on the Academic Information Management System (AIMS), which is also backed up at the Ministry of Science and Technology. Hard copy student information is kept in the Senate Building.
The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, accompanied by the Minister of State for Higher Education and the Permanent Secretary visited Makerere University yesterday and addressed members of Council and Management and pledged Government support to restore the building. During the night of the fire, H.E. The President called the Vice-Chancellor several times requesting for an update on the efforts to extinguish the fire and on the causes of the fire. I thank H.E. The President and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports for the concern they have shown during this difficult time. I similarly thank the Chancellor, Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of Council as well as other members of Council who responded immediately after this most unfortunate incident unfolded.
This incident has reminded us about two important issues, the need to insure our installations and the need to install fire hydrants on campus. At the height of fires at educational institutions, Council decided that the University should insure all key installations. Due to financial constraints, Council however decided to begin with health insurance for staff and budget for insurance of buildings in the subsequent year. Management requested the Chief Government Valuer made a valuation of the major installations, including the Main Building (UGX 15,434,782,500), the Main Library (UGX 21,569,690,854) and the Senate Building (UGX 20,508,533,625) and submitted a report on 29th November 2019, for purposes of insurance. At this time of receiving the report the budget for the next financial year had already been completed,. Management is in the process of negotiating with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for provision of funds for insurance of these installations. For several years, Management has budgeted for overhaul of the University’s obsolete underground water reticulation system, including installation of fire hydrants, but no money has been approved in the budgets for this purpose. Management will continue engaging Government on this issue.
The University is now faced with the task of restoring this iconic building in time for the centenary celebrations due in 2022. Management will engage Government and other stakeholders on this very important task. We are grateful to our alumni and well-wishers from around the globe for their show of sympathy and for the desire to contribute to the restoration of the building. We will inform all stakeholders about accounts to which to send their contributions when this is finalized.
Plans are under way to relocate the offices previously in the Main Building as soon as possible. It is proposed that CTF 2 will be used for this purpose.
2.0 PREPARATIONS FOR RECEIVING FINAL YEAR STUDENTS
Arrangements are under way to receive the final year students as directed by Government. Final year medical students will resume studies for the second semester on 3rd October 2020 and end on 28th November 2020. The rest of the final year undergraduate students and the graduate students will report on 17th October 2020 and end on12th December 2020. Arrangements are under way to receive the students. It is proposed that students who were ordinarily residing in halls of residence will be admitted in the halls of residence and the non-residents will continue residing off campus. This is because the capacity of the halls of residence cannot accommodate all of them. Announcements will be made to all the students in good time to allow foreign students undergo quarantine if necessary.
After receipt of clearance by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), teaching for the rest of the students will commence on 15th October 2020. Arrangements for this are under way.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe
VICE CHANCELLOR
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General
Freshers’ Joining Instructions 2025/2026
Published
2 days agoon
June 24, 2025By
Mak Editor
To All First Year Students;
It brings me great joy to welcome you to Makerere University.
First Year students (Freshers) are by tradition given an “acclimatization” period of one week which is referred to as the “Orientation Week”. The Freshers report on Campus one week earlier than the Continuing students and during this week they are introduced to the key facilities as well as other important aspects of life at the University.
Schedule of Semesters for 2025/2026 Academic Year
Saturday 2nd August, 2025 to Friday 8th August 2025 (7 Days) – Orientation Week
Semester One
Saturday 9th August, 2025 to Saturday 6th December, 2025 (17 Weeks)
Semester Two
Saturday 17th January, 2026 to Friday 16th May, 2026 (17 Weeks)
Orientation Week
Saturday 2nd August, 2025 – Friday 8th August, 2025
During the Orientation week, arrangements are made to enable the Freshers meet and be addressed by Key Officers, Wardens and Student Leaders who welcome the students.
Arrangements are also made to enable the Freshers acquaint themselves with such key facilities at the University like the Library, University Hospital, Games and Recreation Facilities etc.
Freshers are expected to take advantage of the week to survey and acquaint themselves with the general Campus lay out. Another major activity during the Orientation Week is Registration.
All Freshers must ensure that they are registered with their respective Colleges/Schools/Departments/Halls/University Hospital.
Saturday 2nd August, 2025
Resident Freshers report to their respective halls of residence or private hostels by 5.00 p.m. It’s the responsibility of each student to make his/her own travel arrangements to the University or private hostel.
Monday 4th August, 2025
All freshers shall report to the Freedom Square for a meeting (Central orientation program) with the University officials at 9:00am.
College Orientation
Tuesday 5th – Friday 8th August, 2025 College orientation programs will follow during the orientation week. College Principals and Registrars will issue the orientation programs for their colleges.
Lectures will begin on Monday 11th August, 2025.
Registration
For a candidate to be considered a bonafide student of the University, he/she must be registered. Registration is a mandatory requirement of the University which must be done within the first two (2) weeks from the beginning of the semester by every student. Privately sponsored students will pick their original admission letters after payment of 60% tuition and all functional fees from their respective colleges.
Registration will commence on Monday 11th August, 2025 starting at 9.00 a.m. each day at the respective Schools.
Ensure that you complete all the required registration formalities within the prescribed time in order to avoid disappointments later. College/School Registrars will provide registration programs.
Registration Requirements
Admission to Makerere University is a provisional offer made on the basis of the statement of your qualifications as presented on your application form. The offer is subject to verification of your academic documents and payment of university fees.
For registration purposes, all first-year students MUST produce their original documents for verification.
Government sponsored students shall pay shs.163,154/= functional fees to Makerere University.
Privately sponsored students shall pay 839,954/= and 1,495,253/= for Ugandans and International candidates respectively for semester one and 132,250/= for semester two of year 1.
Full admission letters for government sponsored students should be picked from the respective Colleges/Schools beginning Monday 7th July 2025.
The fees structure for privately sponsored students is attached to their provisional admission letters that should be down loaded from their ACMIS portal.
Students in the affiliated Institutions should pay fees indicated by their respective Institutions.
Fresher’s joining instructions concerning reporting, fees payment, academic policies and any important information from the different university units can be viewed from the Academic Registrar’s Department notice boards and University websites www.ar.mak.ac.ug and www.mak.ac.ug respectively.
All freshers MUST have laptop computers as one of the essential tools for study purposes for their programmes.
Other Fees
a) National Council for Higher Education fee (Per Year)-Shs.20,000/= (Payable to the National Council for Higher Education Account in Stanbic Bank).
b) UNSA Subscription fee (per year)-Shs.2,000/= (payable to Stanbic Bank, City Branch, A/C 0140007248501).
Change of Programmes/ Subjects
(a) Change of Programmes
Since selection for specific programmes was made according to each candidate’s performance and order of programme choices, taking into account the available subject combinations and time-table limitations, there is normally little need to change the programme or subjects. However, some places become vacant when some of the students admitted do not take up the offers. Such places are filled through the change of programmes/subjects.
Students who wish to change programmes first of all register according to the registration time-table for the programmes and subjects (where applicable) to which originally have been admitted. Each student who may wish to change his/her programme/subject combination is required to pay an application fee of Shs.6,000/= plus the bank charges to banks used by Uganda Revenue Authority.
(b) Change of Subjects
Students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Natural Sciences or the College of Education and External Studies may wish to change their subjects.
Students should be aware that changing one subject may result in a change of College. Before students apply to change their programmes, Colleges and Subjects, they are encouraged to seek advice on the cut-off point(s) for programmes, requirements for specific subjects and possible subject combinations.
Change of programme/Subjects will be done online on payment of an application fee of Shs. Six thousand (6000/=) plus the bank charges to banks used by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
Students are notified and warned that change of programme or transferring to another subject combination or College without proper authority will be liable to discontinuation from the University.
A student who has been permitted to change his/her programme or subject(s) will be issued with a letter stating so, and on receipt of such a letter that student should complete the ACCEPTANCE part and return a copy of each to the Undergraduate Admissions and Records Office, the former College/School and the new College/School.
The change of programme/subjects will be done online from Monday 4th August, 2025 to Tuesday 12th August, 2025.
N.B: It is advisable that only those students who meet the cut-off points for the desired programmes /subjects may apply.
Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi
ACADEMIC REGISTRAR

An extraordinary sitting of the Uganda Vice Chancellors Forum (UVCF) meeting at Makerere University on 23rd June 2025 has made a special appeal for the scientific evaluation of the impact of the Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC) programme as its future hangs in a balance. The sitting was hosted by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza and addressed by the Executive Director UVCF, Prof. Eriabu Lugujjo, Chairperson UVCF and Vice Chancellor Busitema University, Prof. Paul Waako and representative from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), Dr. Maria Nakachwa and a representative from the HEAC programme, Prof. David Orema.
Welcoming members of the Forum to Makerere University, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi expressed warm regards from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe who was away on official duty. Turning to the agenda of the day, he said “I find the proposed items on the order paper quite pertinent given the time, as we offer guidance and input towards our next journey in higher education.

“We believe that by the close of the day, we should be able to come up with a position paper that will inform the next course of action in this regard” remarked Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi in reference to the scheduled updates from NCHE on the HEAC Programme.
The ED UVCF, Prof. Eriabu Lugujjo in his remarks thanked Makerere University for accepting to host the extraordinary session at short notice. Commenting on the successful reconstruction of the Main Building he said, “90% of the Vice Chancellors gathered today had not been here since the conflagration so we wish to commend you on the quality of work, especially the preservation of history.” He reiterated the host Vice Chancellor’s hope that the sitting would come up with unified resolution on important issues pertaining to the Higher Education sector.

The Chairperson, Prof. Paul Waako thanked the Africa Renewal University for the warm hospitality accorded during the 75th meeting of the UVCF and congratulated Universities upon participating in the National Science Week and Summit 2025.
“This is a very good forum for institutions to interact, share progress on innovations and catch up with how far the country is progressing in science, technology and innovation. The new addition this year was the Science Summit, which is supposed to bring together all scientists in this country and out of that we would like to generate a position paper on science, technology and innovation, which we are insisting should be discussed by Cabinet every year” Prof. Waako remarked.

The Chairperson UVCF noted that the extraordinary meeting had been called on short notice to feed into ongoing discussions at high levels regarding the HEAC programme and the recently passed Uganda Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act, 2025. He noted that the TVET Act has big implications on Higher Education training at Diploma and Certificate level, warranting a discussion by Vice Chancellors.
Stakeholders from NCHE and the Commissioner for Higher Education and Training in the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) were invited to enrich the discussion. Equally invited were; Prof. David Orema who worked with NCHE to develop the HEAC programme and the first training programme at Busitema University, Incoming and 24th Guild President of Gulu University and HEAC beneficiary Mr. Alex Opio Ongom, a student representative from Kabale University, and the first female graduate engineer from Buyende District – also a HEAC beneficiary.

Giving an overview of the HEAC programme, Dr. Nakachwa observed that Uganda remains a hub of Higher Education in the region and the programme acts as a good bridge for international students who need to meet entry requirements of Ugandan institutions. She also pointed to the fact that the HEAC programme acts as a remedial programme for students who sat and completed the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) but did not attain sufficient grades to enroll for Diplomas or Degree programmes.
“Looking at the recently released UNEB exams, people with one principal pass were 29,000. Where are they going? Are they going to repeat? Very few do. In 2023, 18,000 students got one principal pass. Should we deny them access to the Ugandan Higher Education?” she pondered.

Dr. Nakachwa added that NCHE, which is mandated by the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act to set minimum entry requirements to any certificate, diploma or degree programme developed minimum standards for the HEAC programme in 2016, with institutions having the leeway to add two or three courses to help students cope with the rigour.
“This is well prescribed in Instrument 34 of 2008. It is a Level 4 of the Uganda Education qualifications framework because it is Post-A-Level, and the Higher Education Certificate Programme was approved by the National Council for Higher Education in 2016” elaborated Dr. Nakachwa.
She added that the HEAC is intended for four categories of students; 1) foreign students whose education system differs from Uganda’s, 2) a remedy programme for students with A-Level qualifications but not admissible for Diplomas and Bachelors, 3) holders of vocational qualifications i.e. holders of national certificates from the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) intending to pursue higher education, and 4) a bridge for the science/arts divide for students who may have passed sciences at O-Level but pursued arts at A-Level and thereafter, seek to pursue clinical or nursing programmes.



Furthermore, she noted that the change in nomenclature from the Higher Education Certificate (HEC) to the Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC) programme was as recommended by a 2022 review, that also recommended an increase in subject content for the Biological and Physical sciences tracks of the programme. The HEAC also offers a third General track for arts. Nevertheless, students on all three tracks are required to interact with content in the three areas of; Life Skills Education, Study Skills and Academic Writing, and Foundations of Mathematics and Statistics.
Sharing results as at December 2024, Dr. Nakachwa noted that 21 out of the 56 registered Higher Education Institutions in Uganda are accredited to run the HAEC programme, with a total of 3,908 students enrolled. “We have learnt some lessons which include; having the regulatory frameworks reviewed is critical, and continuous engagement with stakeholders is paramount.”

The presentation by the National Council for Higher Education guided the discussions for the rest of the UVCF sitting, which concluded with the resolution to develop a position paper. Thereafter, the UVCF was led on guided tour of the reconstructed Main Building by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi.
General
Mastercard Foundation Board pays its inaugural visit to Makerere University
Published
3 days agoon
June 23, 2025
On Tuesday, 17th June 2025, a distinguished delegation from the Mastercard Foundation Board visited Makerere University for the first time since the establishment of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the university. The visit underscored the progress achieved through the partnership and its positive impact on the university community, Uganda and the African continent over the past decade. The delegation was welcomed to Makerere by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, accompanied by Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and Prof. Justine Namaalwa, the Program Director for Mastercard Foundation at Makerere University.
The high-profile delegation was led by Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former President of Liberia and the first woman to hold the presidential office on the African continent. She serves on the Board alongside other members such as Mr. Zein M. Abdalla, the Board Chairperson; Ms. Jennifer Fonsted; Mr. Jim Leech; Mr. Stephen Toope; Ms. Sewit Ahderom; Ms. Baroness Valerie; Hon. Louise Arbour; Ms. Tsega Gebreyes; Mr. Jay Ireland; Mr. Michael Sabia; Ms. Carole Wamayu; Ms. Robin Washington; and Ms. Reeta Roy, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mastercard Foundation. Additionally, the Board members were accompanied by the leadership team of the Mastercard Foundation, including Mr. Doug Kasambala, Chief Financial Officer; Ms. Ivy Mwai, Education and Skills Lead; Mr. Adrian Bukenya, Country Director for Mastercard Foundation-Uganda Programs; and Ms. Rachel Nandelenga, Head of Country Program Communications.

The Mastercard Foundation Board conducted a series of meetings with various stakeholders at Makerere University. The meetings begun with the University Leadership, which featured key figures such as Rt. Hon. Daniel Kidega, the Deputy Chairperson of the University Council and Chairperson of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Advisory Board at Makerere; Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor; Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Chairperson of the Steering Committee for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program; and Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, the University Secretary.
While addressing the delegation, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nawangwe expressed gratitude for the partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and Makerere University. He highlighted the Foundation’s impact on Africa’s higher education sector and the livelihoods of young people across the continent.

“We are privileged to host Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, along with other Members of the Board of Mastercard Foundation and the Foundation’s President and CEO, Ms. Reeta Roy, for the first time at Makerere University. The Mastercard Foundation has significantly impacted Uganda and Africa’s higher education sector and the livelihoods of young people, for which we are very grateful,” Prof. Nawangwe remarked.
Prof. Nawangwe also expressed appreciation to the Mastercard Foundation for its partnerships with Makerere University, which began with the Scholars Program and now encompasses additional initiatives such as the E-learning Initiative and, most recently, the Climate Resilience and Sustainability Collaborative project.
During the meeting with the Scholars Program staff, the Program Director, Prof. Justine Namaalwa, had the opportunity to outline the achievements of the first 10 years (First phase) of the Scholars Program at Makerere University and shed light on the future of the second phase of the Program at Makerere University.

Among the achievements highlighted by Prof. Namaalwa during the first phase were the following:
- The Program supported 1,032 young people, of whom 76% were females and 24% were males.
- As of January 2025, 965 Scholars had graduated, achieving an exceptional completion rate of 94%.
- Scholar Alumni have moved on to various pursuits, including formal employment (34%), entrepreneurship (11%), and further education (3%).
- Strengthening the Student Mentorship Engagements through capacity-building sessions for 97 university staff across the colleges, which benefits both the Scholars and other students.
- Drafting the Makerere University Career Guidance and Mentorship Policy to streamline mentorship engagements across the university. The Policy is currently under review by the University Council.
- As of 2024, the Scholars Entrepreneurship Fund has created 86 jobs across various communities.
- The Scholars made a positive impact on communities through their Annual Day of Service, supporting twelve communities by constructing boreholes for clean water access in two communities and building and equipping classrooms in three communities.

Prof. Namaalwa also elaborated on the accomplishments thus far in the second phase of the Scholars Program by highlighting the following;
- 101 Scholars recruited into the Program across different categories.
- Prioritizing the safety of students and staff, emphasized by the well-articulated Makerere University Safeguarding Policy and its implementation activities.
- A fully operational Disability Inclusion Support Centre.

On the other day’s activities, the Board also had the chance to view a mini-exhibition showcasing projects implemented by the alumni scholars. Furthermore, they engaged in a focus group discussion with both the Scholars and alumni.
On their part, the Board members expressed gratitude to Makerere University Management, led by Prof. Nawangwe, for the tremendous achievements the university had attained through the implementation of the Scholars Program and other initiatives aimed at uplifting underprivileged young people in Uganda and Africa. The Board members also expressed their appreciation to Prof. Namaalwa and the Scholars Program for the excellent job done in implementing the Scholars Program and for the continuous support provided to the Scholars and Scholar-alumni.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nawangwe, concluded the day by presenting each visitor with an unforgettable souvenir of Makerere, which included exquisite Makerere University coffee mugs and executive pens.

Mr. Bernard Buteera is the Principal Communication and Public Relations Officer of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University
More photos from the visit




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