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Humanities & Social Sciences

72nd Graduation: Doctoral Citations – CHUSS

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AMPAIRE Anne
AMPAIRE Anne

AMPAIRE Anne
Career Stereotypes and Aspiration as Predictors of Students’ Independence in Career Choice at Education Transitional Levels in Uganda

Ms. AMPAIRE Anne examined the extent to which career stereotypes and aspirations predict students’ career choice at education transitional levels in Uganda. This was motivated by the continued challenges that impact on students’ independence in career choice and the extent to which career decisions are based on the available facts. This has led to students taking up careers that are not in line with their interests, value system, and skills, thereby compromising the outcome expectations. Overall, the results revealed that reliance on personal independence and career choice facts, is decreased by the prevailing career stereotypes, across the education transitional levels. This has resulted into an increase in the number of students who pursue careers that are inconsistent with their career aspirations and interests, and there is need for measures aimed at addressing those prevailing career stereotypes. The study was co-funded by myself and Makerere University and was supervised by Dr. Mayanja Kajumba and Prof. Anthony M. Mugagga.


ANTWIWAA Stella
ANTWIWAA Stella

ANTWIWAA Stella
The Representation of Women in Selected Plays of Euripides and Selected Ghanaian Playwrights

Ms. ANTWIWAA Stella employed feminist and postcolonial theories to interrogate the representation of women in selected classical Euripidean plays and selected Ghanaian playwrights to examine the ‘universalist’ view that the Classics are models for others to learn from. The research questions the hegemonic elevation of the Classical/Western values to examine African experiences. The study reveals that in terms of gender representations, the Classical Greek, through Euripides’ writings, does not provide examples for the Akan (Ghanaian/African) societies. The study recommends that African scholars need to adopt Afrocentric epistemology to examine African experiences in order to shift and balance the centres of knowledge production and circulation. Africa’s classics in history, art, myths, folktales and indigenous knowledge need to be foregrounded in scholarship to address the pedestal placement of the Western Classics as a yardstick to evaluate African artefacts. Granted the Classics continue to be valuable, scholars need to interrogate them when applied to different cultural experiences. This critical and comparative study challenges the ideology of the superiority of Western Classics over other cultures. This study was funded by Gerda Henkel Stiftung Foundation, and supervised by Prof. Dominica Dipio and Dr Danson Kahyana.


ARINAITWE Perpetua
ARINAITWE Perpetua

ARINAITWE Perpetua
Kiswahili at Crossroads: Cultural Politics and Language Policy in Uganda.

Ms. ARINAITWE Perpetua studied historical narratives of different language policies and factors that impacted Kiswahili growth across the different historical periods; the pre-colonial period (1840-1894); the colonial period (1894-1962); and the post-colonial period (1962-2019). A blend of three approaches to language policy and planning (LPP); the Historical-structural model, the Neo-classical Model and Language Management Theory (LMT). A narrative technique enabled the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. Findings revealed that Kiswahili growth has been dependent on numerous language policies stretching from the pre, during and post-colonial epochs. Constant shift in cultural and political leadership meant that whoever held power determined the language policies that favoured their leadership ideology. The study was funded by the GERDA HENKEL STIFFTUNG and was supervised by Dr Saudah Namyalo and Dr Gumoshabe Gilbert.


ASIIMWE Stedia
ASIIMWE Stedia

ASIIMWE Stedia
Female survivors’ Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and access to justice in Uganda

Ms. ASIIMWE Stedia investigated female survivors’ experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and access to justice in Uganda, with a focus on relationships involving male police officers. The study was carried out in Jinja police barracks in Eastern Uganda. Methodologically, qualitative approach was employed, using case study design. Findings indicate that female survivors of IPV experienced physical, sexual, economic and psychological violence. Factors that triggered IPV against women in police families included: shared accommodation, poorly managed transfers and daily deployments, alcoholism, low salaries, refusing women to work outside the barracks and work related stress. Access to justice by female survivors of IPV was constrained by alien referral pathways to justice, abusers’ possession of a weapon, long procedures, laxity by authority to punish fellow officers, sexual harassment, women’s lack of information about their rights and Government’s failure to decentralize some services. The study argues that the arm of the law is too short to reach civilian female survivors of IPV, because the abusers are at the same time the vehicles through which justice is supposed to be delivered. The study recommends that police management should construct more houses for officers, include a module on Gender based violence in police training syllabus and use mult-professional teams to handle IPV cases. The study was funded by Makerere-Sweden Bilateral Research Program, and was supervised by Dr. Victoria Flavia Namuggala and Dr. Ruth Nsibirano.


ATWAGALA Donnah
ATWAGALA Donnah

ATWAGALA Donnah
A Comparative Analysis of Land ownership and Land conflicts in post-conflict areas of Luwero and Amuru Districts, Uganda: A Gender Perspective

Ms. ATWAGALA Donnah analysed the effects of landownership and land conflicts on gender perspectives in post-conflict areas of Luwero and Amuru Districts in Uganda. The findings show that the nature and causes of land conflicts have evolved, transforming from being local to becoming international. Actors and conflicts have become more sophisticated and complex to identify and analyse, respectively. The study recommends adopting the right-based, gender and conflict-sensitive land acquisition, ownership and management framework that will ensure equitable land acquisition, access and use by all stakeholders. This study was supervised by Dr. Paddy Musana and Assoc. Prof. Consolata Kabonesa.


BALIKOOWA Richard
BALIKOOWA Richard

BALIKOOWA Richard
A Sociocultural Exploration of Children’s Experiences and Perspectives on Gender-based Violence in Primary Schools in Busoga Sub-region, Uganda

Mr. BALIKOOWA Richard explored the experiences and perspectives of primary school children regarding gender-based violence in and around schools and its impact on their schooling; in Uganda’s Busoga sub-region. Using a sociocultural approach, Balikoowa adopted a multimethod design through which he involved 450 male and female school children from 10 to 14 years in participatory visual activities; including draw-and-talk, child-friendly focus group conversations, in-depth interviews; as well as the eclectic administration of a survey tool. Children acknowledged experiencing and/or witnessing gender-based violence in and around their schools. They also disclosed that gender-biased factors associated with school setup and gender-based violence immensely negatively affected their motivation to engage in school activities. However, children’s greatest nervousness and related impact on their schooling was attributed to the unresponsiveness and unempathetic attitude by those around them. The study recommended that stakeholders in children’s schooling should allow them reveal their challenges and also pay concerted attention to them as key participants in their development and schooling. The study was funded by the Andrew W. Mellon and was supervised by Assoc. Prof. Julius Fred Kikooma and Dr. David Onen.


FEDEO Ignas
FEDEO Ignas

FEDEO Ignas
Myth and Mythmaking in the Narratives about Mwalimu Julius Nyerere among the Banyakyusa

Mr. FEDEO Ignas studied the recreation of Nyerere’s personal life and political career in Banyakyusa myths. The study offers an alternative understanding of Nyerere’s life and history as perceived by local people. Using oral history interviews and content analysis, Banyakyusa myths which carry their culture, voices, beliefs, and perceptions of Nyerere were recorded. The myths were interpreted based on Banyakyusa traditional beliefs and their life experiences. The findings revealed that Banyakyusa believe that Nyerere was endowed with immerse supernatural and mystical powers which helped him to implement his presidential duties successfully and protect himself and the Tanzanian people. The study established the Banyakyusa belief that Nyerere’s mystical powers greatly account for the prominence of his ideas and the reverence accorded to him in Tanzania, Africa and the world at large. The study will promote preservation of Banyakyusa and other Africans oral materials especially myths which carry beliefs and perceptions of local people. This study was funded by Gerda-Henkel Stiftung Foundation and supervised by Prof Abasi Kiyimba and Dr. Benge Okot.


KATURAMU Alex
Land, social Change and the lives of nomadic pastoralists in Western Uganda since 1950

Mr. KATURAMU Alex examined the historical proliferation of nomadic pastoralists focusing on the issues of land and social change since 1950. In the results, seasonal movements culminated into land conflicts among pastoralists and farmers. The land conflicts were exacerbated by intensity of population in the cattle corridor. The study shows that pastoralists remain one of the secors that significantly contribute to Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product, hence deserving resource investiments to improve the livelihoods of herders. This study was supervised by Dr. Simon Peter Rutabajuuka and Dr. Charlottee Karungu Mafumbo.


KIGEMBE Elmerek
KIGEMBE Elmerek

KIGEMBE Elmerek
Challenges of Strategic Plan Implementation in the North Western Diocese: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania

Rev. KIGEMBE Elmereck investigated the challenges that limited strategic plan implementation in the North Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran church in Tanzania. The study identified Improper resource allocation, limited knowledge of implementers, un-conducive working conditions, lack of clear targets and changes in Government policies as negative actors in strategic plan implementation. For the church to effectively implement its strategic plan objectives so as to deliver God’s Mission, the study recommended strategic mobilization, monitoring and allocation of resources; integration of training in the strategic plan implementation processes; enhancement of working conditions; integration of clear targets in action plans and regular review of strategic plan instruments to accommodate changes in the government policy. The study was funded by the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) and supervised by Dr. Patrick Mangeni and Dr. Veneranda Mbabazi.


KIRIGGWAJJO Anatole
KIRIGGWAJJO Anatole

KIRIGGWAJJO Anatole
The Tonology of Lunyala Nouns, Noun Phrases and Verbs

Mr. KIRIGGWAJJO Anatole investigated the tonology of Lunyala one of Uganda’s minority languages mainly spoken in the district of Kayunga. He argues that although the tone system of Bantu languages has attracted a lot of attention in the last decade, minority languages have been neglected making such languages endangered. His study found out that Lunyala has a privative tone system with the High tone marked underlying while both the underlying and surface tones are borne by moras in a one-to-one correspondence. Further the tone distribution over the moras is determined by tonal processes for example; High and Low tone spreading, Obligatory contour Principle and Tonal polarity among others. He underscores the usefulness of the study in compiling Lunyala online-talking dictionaries and developing teaching and learning materials in Lunyala. This study was funded by Volkswagen Foundation and was supervised by Dr. Saudah Namyalo.


IMOKOLA John Baptist
IMOKOLA John Baptist

IMOKOLA John Baptist
Television Programming Regulation: Examining the Policy Implementation of Local Content Quotas in Uganda

Mr. IMOKOLA John Baptist examined the implementation of television local content quotas policy in Uganda. Five years after television local content quotas were implemented in 2014, no known comprehensive assessment had been done on uptake by television stations, and how the is understood by the different stakeholders. The study analyzed the perspectives of different stakeholders, opportunities from the local content quotas and the challenges affecting implementation. Using key informant interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis, the study found that Uganda Communications Commission, the television stations, the local content producers and the audience had reacted differently towards the policy. Implementation has seen increased production, acquisition, adaptation and airing of Ugandan content for television. Although there are opportunities created by the policy, achievement of these are bedeviled structural, conceptual, economic and political challenges affecting effective implementation. The study proposed a new definition of local content, and recommends a consultative process in the formulation and implementation of broadcast policies. This study was funded by Andrew Mellon CHUSS Fellowship and supervised by Prof. Goretti Linda Nassanga and Dr. Brian Semujju.


KYOMUHENDO Marjorie Niyitegeka
KYOMUHENDO Marjorie Niyitegeka

KYOMUHENDO Marjorie Niyitegeka
Family Planning Communication in Uganda: An Interrogation of Media Reporting, Communication Campaigns and Audience Perspectives

Ms. KYOMUHENDO Marjorie Niyitegeka’s study was motivated by the constant high awareness and low use of contraceptives by most women and men of reproductive age in Uganda. She thus examined the framing of family planning information in selected media stories and health communication campaigns. She also explored how audience members targeted by the campaigns interpreted family planning information. Her study found deficiencies in family planning communication occasioned by shallow media reporting and information transmission approaches that disregarded the audience’s information needs and contextual factors. She recommends that the Ministry of Health and partners implement a harmonised communication strategy that is audience-centred and responsive to the emerging information needs and socio-ecological contexts of particular audience segments. She further urges Uganda’s media to practise more enterprise and interpretive journalism in reporting family planning to amplify its significance to the public. The study was co-funded by CARTA and Makerere University, and was supervised by Prof.Goretti L. Nassanga and Prof. Anne R. Katahoire.


LUGWIRI Okombo Patrick
LUGWIRI Okombo Patrick

LUGWIRI Okombo Patrick
A citizen Sociolinguistics Appraisal of Kiswahili as a Tool for Social Integration in the East African Community

Mr. LUGWIRI Okombo Patrick employed the Citizen Sociolinguistics model to explore language-based decisions about Kiswahili among ordinary citizens in the East African Community, specifically, in Busia and Namanga border towns. Lugwiri’s study was motivated by Article 137(2) of the EAC Treaty (1999) which provides for the promotion of Kiswahili as a lingua franca of the Community. Using ethnographic methods, the study examined the patterns and extent of the use of Kiswahili, the nature of Kiswahili used, and citizens perceptions and attitudes to Kiswahili. The study found that Kiswahili is construed, constructed and appropriated differently by different citizens in different domains and spaces, and therefore, a highly varied language. While Kiswahili has the potential of a common language of communication and a tool for social integration in the EAC, issues of varieties and labels, contact and conflict between varieties, status and prestige, perceptions and attitudes, national and social identity, and linguistic power struggles impact negatively on this potential. The study recommended a shift in approach to Kiswahili in the EAC from the ‘top-down’ policies to ‘bottom-up’ or practice-based policies that take into account participation of ordinary citizens as makers and shapers of language policies. The study was funded by Gerda Henkel Fellowship and supervised by Dr Merit Kabugo and Dr Florence Bayiga.


MUDONDO Constance
MUDONDO Constance

MUDONDO Constance
Land Conflicts and Livelihoods of People Utilising Namatala Wetland in Eastern Uganda

Ms. MUDONDO Constance examined how land conflicts shape livelihoods of people. Using Namatala Wetland in Eastern Uganda as a case, she examined the conflict dimensions and drivers, land use, and conflict management mechanisms. She found that increasing demand for moist farm land shape conflict dimensions leading to cleavage formation based on class, ethnicity, and location. The emergent quests for territorial control and inequality result in violence, which hinders optimal use of land and diminishes wetland users’ capitals. Although formal conflict management strategies have been tried, they were largely protectionist and divisive, reinforcing feelings of relative deprivation and latent hostilities. Consequently, the wetland users have resorted to informal coping mechanisms like social-networks that act as collective labour, financial safety valves and buffers against attacks. She argues that alleviating the effects of land conflicts requires shifting from structural models to locally bred conflict management systems. The study was funded by SIDA and supervised by Dr. Robert Kabumbuli and Dr. Dauda Waiswa Batega.


MUGENYI Jonathan
MUGENYI Jonathan

MUGENYI Jonathan
Singing Politics: Popular Music, Popular Politics and Contingencies of Protest in NRM’s Uganda

Mr. MUGENYI Jonathan examined the deployment of musical expression in the practice of state politics under Uganda’s National Resistance Movement. On the one hand, he investigated the direct and implied ways by which the NRM deploys musical expression as a tool of political mobilisation and legitimization while on the other hand, he examined ways by which the Ugandan society uses musical expression to create alternatives ways of engaging with NRM politics. Expanding the Foucauldian theory of power, Mugenyi argues that musical expression is a conduit of state power that percolates into society and it is the same conduit that returns to the state to challenge its power as contingencies of protest. This study was funded under Makerere Institute of Social Research’s Interdisciplinary MPhil/PhD and was supervised by Prof. Mahmood Mamdani.


MWANIKA Kassim
MWANIKA Kassim

MWANIKA Kassim
Commercial Sugarcane Farming and Rural Youth Livelihoods in Eastern Uganda

Mr. MWANIKA Kassim examined the implications of commercial farming on a vulnerable population. Focusing on sugarcane farming and youth livelihoods in Eastern Uganda, he found that sugarcane farming has a suboptimal impact on youth livelihoods in Busoga sub-region. Due to limited requisite resources, the youth constitute the bulk of sugarcane labour force and their benefits from the industry are limited to wage earnings. He argues that commercial sugarcane farming is an enclave for wealthy groups, and that youth are incorporated into circuits of capital accumulation where they are exploited by employers. The process is exacerbated by lack of labour regulations and sugarcane price volatility, which undermine the trickle-down effect of sugarcane farming on youth livelihoods. Enhancing outcomes from sugarcane farming requires addressing structural traps embedded in capitalist large-scale farming. The study was funded by SIDA and supervised by Assoc. Prof. Andrew Ellias State, Prof. Atekyereza Peter and Assoc. Prof. Torun Österberg.


NAKABO Seruga Robinah
NAKABO Seruga Robinah

NAKABO Seruga Robinah
Followership and Women’s Empowerment for Sustainable Development: A Case of the Women in the National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda

Ms. NAKABO Seruga Robinah investigated followership and women’s empowerment for sustainable development, taking the case of the women in NAWOU. After in-depth interviews, findings showed that followership was generally a taken for granted concept. Respondents perceived followership as a cooperative venture, retrospection on past experiences, as a detour, seeking to stabilise or destabilise the status quo, identifying preferred values, and mentorship. Most voices reiterated that generally, many women exhibited perpetual and unconscious followership tendencies even when other alternatives were available; with fear as the main causal condition. However, women’s followership of NAWOU was found to be pragmatic and conscious with the implication of possible empowerment; intervened by education, family ties, and financial situations. The conclusion was, depending on personal characteristics, perception of empowerment and the typology of followership adopted, women could gain empowerment for sustainable development. The recommendation is that NAWOU, the government, academic institutions, and similar organizations reconsider the concept of followership and its implications on empowerment. The study was supervised by Assoc Prof. Godfrey Assimwe, and Dr. Robert S. Esiruku


NAKALYOWA Deborah
NAKALYOWA Deborah

NAKALYOWA Deborah
Intimate Partner Violence and Masculinities: Experiences of Baganda male “survivors” in Masaka District, Uganda

Ms. NAKALYOWA Deborah examined, through a qualitative methodology, the lived experiences of men who were subjected to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) by their female intimate partners in heterosexual relationships, including forms/types in which the IPV manifested, and how it affected the masculine identities of the male victims. Findings revealed that they were subjected to psychological/emotional violence, in addition to physical aggression and sexual abuse in the contexts of Intimate Terrorism, Situational Couple Violence and Mutual Violent Control. While the importance of maintaining an appropriate sense of masculinity underpinned their narratives, the male victims described feeling shame and embarrassment for not having met the dominant cultural expectations surrounding masculinity, consequently affecting their emotional and physical well-being. However, the majority of men were hesitant to seek help after victimization, for fear of ridicule, emasculation and being cast as the perpetrators. Therefore, there is need for more research and advocacy to enhance recognition and public awareness about the plight of male victims, review of laws/policies aimed at combating IPV in intimate relationships to be more gender-inclusive, as well as establish victim service support sources for all IPV victims, regardless of gender. The study was funded by SIDA and supervised by Dr. Evelyn Lutwama-Rukundo and Assoc. Prof. Consolata Kabonesa


NANSAMBA Joyce
NANSAMBA Joyce

NANSAMBA Joyce
Why They Stay: A socio-cultural Reconstruction of Academics’ Retention in Uganda’s Public Universities.

Ms. NANSAMBA Joyce explains why Academics stay working in Uganda’s Public Universities despite unappealing working conditions. Recognizing that staff retention is not exclusively about institutional frameworks and individually situated explanations, the study underscores the role of historical, social and cultural contexts in explaining retention. A narrative analysis of the academics’ stories revealed that the meaning academics attach to their professional identity, the social relations from engaged scholarship and the otherness from external prestige explain their retention. The study was a departure from conventional thinking that attractive pay and benefits, satisfactory terms of service, good working conditions among others explain retention. It was a novel step to studying retention as a social construction from the perspective of Academics’ own experiences. The study was funded by Makerere University and supervised by Assoc Prof. Julius Kikooma and Assoc Prof. Umar Kakumba.


NIRINGIYIMANA Julius
NIRINGIYIMANA Julius

NIRINGIYIMANA Julius
Oil Politics and Land Conflicts in the Albertine Region, Uganda

Mr. NIRINGIYIMANA Julius investigated how oil politics was influencing the changing nature of land conflicts in the Albertine region of Uganda. The study discovered that though the Ugandan government had been engaging in protracted negotiations with multinational oil corporations in an effort to protect the national interests, the process instead got plagued by land conflicts and dispossession of citizens from their land. It established that the interests of the actors conflicted and led to the politicization of oil governance. Consequently, the government was made to adjust its position to accommodate the interests of multinational oil corporations while other opportunistic interests, such as land speculators also took advantage. These actions made the affected persons to lose their land rights which invoked and intensified land conflicts in form of Polanyi’s ‘countermovement’ and adversely affected people’s livelihoods. The study concluded that where neoliberal capitalism interfaces with an oil-producing developing country, citizens face dispossession of land and other rights, and where there are pre-existing land conflicts, the politicisation of oil intensifies them and produces new ones. The study recommends that the Ugandan state should re-assert its interests and obligations to protect people’s land rights and make multinational oil corporations to adhere to internationally established benchmarks such as fair compensation. This study was funded by SIDA and supervised by Prof Muhumuza William and Prof Murindwa Rutanga.


TUNANUKYE Nicholas
TUNANUKYE Nicholas

TUNANUKYE Nicholas
A History of Migrancy, Nativism, and Citizenship in Uganda, 1894-1995: A case of South and Western Uganda

Mr. TUNANUKYE Nicholas examined the relationship between migrations, identity formations and citizenship in Uganda, 1894-1995 using migration experiences of Bakiga and Banyankole into Buganda, and Bakiga into Bunyoro. Using historical research methods which included analysis of documents, oral narratives and archival sources, the study established that, whereas migration had taken place in the region of pre-Uganda, colonial rule encouraged unprecedented internal migration in Uganda. The new socio-economic order brought about by the colonial state opened the way for free movement in the protectorate across ethnic boundaries. There were two main reasons for this accelerated migration: migrant labour and search for land. The migration of Banyankole and Bakiga from southwestern region of Uganda to Buganda in the 1930s, 1940s into 1960s was largely in response to the former, while the migration of the Bakiga into Bunyoro and Toro regions during the 1950s and 1960s was in response to latter. The study also established that there were complex interactions between the migrating and receiving communities. One major complexity lay in the attitude of nativism, expressed in subtle ways. Nativism gave rise to two kinds of citizenship consciousness: the Local Citizenship bestowed by membership to an ancestral community inhabiting a particular region and National Citizenship bestowed by the statutes of the Ugandan state. The study was funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and was supervised by Dr. Simon Peter Rutabajuuka and Dr. Deo Nzarwa Katono.


WAMAMELA Nixon
WAMAMELA Nixon

WAMAMELA Nixon
A critique of Constitutional making and amendment in Uganda with Reference to the 1967 &1995 Constitution

Mr. WAMAMELA Nixon conducted an ethical critique of constitutional making and amendment in Uganda with specific reference to the 1967 and 1995 constitutions. The study established that the constitutional processes were seemingly legitimate, yet, self-interest tendencies overrode common interest, hence, the resultant controversies such as lack of consensus among members of parliament, questionable declaration of state of emergency, controversial consultations, resultant scuffles and violent scenes in parliament. It was also established that ideals of constitutional democracy and legislative ethics were lacking. To mitigate the above challenges, an ethical framework for constitutional making and amendment processes should be put into account. Such a framework should include referenda, benchmarking and a national consensus on ethical principles, declaration of conflict of interest by the incumbents and other possible beneficiaries. These are possible through creation of ethics review committee within parliament. The study was funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and supervised by Prof. Archangel Rukooko Byaruhanga and Dr. Paul Matthias Shimiyu.


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Advert: Application for Additional Undergraduate Programmes 2025/26

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The Academic Registrar, Makerere University invites applications from Ugandan, East African, and international applicants for the undergraduate programmes under the private sponsorship scheme for the 2025/2026 Academic Year.

The following Programmes have been added:

  • Bachelor of Science in Computer and Communications Engineering (CCE)
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Other relevant information can be obtained from UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS OFFICE, LEVEL 3, SENATE BUILDING OR CAN BE found on the University Website https://www.mak.ac.ug.

How to submit your application                                            

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  2. Sign up by clicking on the REGISTER NOW. Use your full name, e-mail and Mobile No.  Please note that your name must be similar to the one on your supporting academic documents for your application to be considered valid.
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  5. To fill an application form, click on the APPLY NOW button displayed on the appropriate running scheme.                                              
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  1. Dial *272*6# on either MTN or Airtel                                                             
  2. Select option 3-Admission                                                     
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The closing date for receiving applications to undergraduate programmes shall be Tuesday 20th May 2025.                                                           

WARNING:                                                             

  1. Applicants are strongly warned against presenting forged or other people’s academic documents to support their applications for admission.  The consequences, if discovered, are very grave indeed.
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Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi
ACADEMIC REGISTRAR

Mak Editor

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Humanities & Social Sciences

Makerere Screens Tuko Pamoja, Scholars Call for Creative Arts to Be Recognized as Research Output

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The MP, Dr. Cindy Magara, Prof. Helen N. Nkabala, Dr. Eve Nabukya and Dr. Levis Mugumya flash Tuko Pamoja symbol in a group photo. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Kampala, Uganda – May 13, 2025
Makerere University on Tuesday screened Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, as part of a wider push by humanities scholars to have creative works recognized as valid academic research output.

The screening, held at the University Main Hall, drew senior university officials, faculty, students, and representatives from national education bodies. The event highlighted growing calls to integrate creative arts into the university’s research and promotion frameworks.

Speaking on behalf of the Dean of the School of Languages, Literature and Communication, Dr. Levis Mugumya emphasized that creative works such as documentaries should be formally considered during academic staff promotions.

Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza watching the film. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza watching the film.

“Creative art should be considered as input that contributes to staff promotion,” Mugumya said. “We need to rethink what counts as academic output.”

Tuko Pamoja—Swahili for We Are One—is a docuseries exploring Uganda’s ethnic diversity and shared historical experiences prior to colonial nation-state formation. Dr. Magara, a literature scholar and filmmaker, was praised for creating a culturally significant work that transcends traditional academic formats.

“This is a great tool for promoting patriotism. It contributes to national development and deepens our understanding of ethnicity and nationhood in Uganda,” Mugumya added.

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi representing the Vice Chancellor. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi representing the Vice Chancellor.

The event was officiated by Professor Mukadasi Buyinza, who represented Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe. In his speech, Buyinza reiterated Makerere’s commitment to supporting research in the creative arts.

“We cannot promote research only in the STEM disciplines. Resilient communities need a sense of humanity—and creative arts are central to that,” said Buyinza. “Film-making and research are expensive, and we must find partners to support such initiatives.”

He also called for greater collaboration among faculty and students to promote and disseminate creative research outputs like Tuko Pamoja.

Prof. Buyinza interacts with a Member of Parliament after the film. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Buyinza interacts with a Member of Parliament after the film.

Associate Professor Helen Nkabala, Principal of CHUSS, stressed the importance of storytelling in shaping national consciousness and academic relevance.

“At the College of Humanities, we are telling you that we need to unite to tell our story if we are to make meaning to our communities,” she said. “This film shows how humanities research can be innovative, relevant, and impactful.”

Dr. Magara, a former student in the department, was commended by senior colleagues for bridging academic and artistic expression. The event follows a recent management dialogue on the role of humanities in nation-building.

Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala being ushered in by Dr. Cindy Magara. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala being ushered in by Dr. Cindy Magara.

“We need events like this to remind us who we are,” Buyinza concluded. “Unity is not given—it is built through conscious effort and shared history.”

Dr. Cindy Magara Traces Journey from Classroom to Cinema with Launch of Tuko Pamoja Docuseries

Dr. Cindy Evelyn Magara, a literature scholar and pioneering filmmaker recounted her two-decade journey into film-making at Makerere University during the screening of her latest documentary project, Tuko Pamoja. The event was part of a broader discussion on the role of creative arts in academia.

Dr. Magara shared her evolution from a student in Uganda’s first film studies class in 2005 to becoming one of the country’s most recognized female filmmakers. She credited her start to Professor Sister Dominic Dipio, who introduced artesian cinema at Makerere University.

Dr. Cindy Magara making her remarks. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Cindy Magara making her remarks.

“If it wasn’t for Sister Dipio, possibly I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be a filmmaker,” Magara said. “From the time I made my first film, I knew that was going to be my career path.”

After graduating in 2006, Magara founded Nyati Motion Pictures, a production company named after her clan totem—Mbogo (buffalo). Her first film, Fate, became a historic milestone as the first Ugandan film screened at Cineplex Cinemas and aired on Africa Magic.

She went on to direct Fair Play, an EU-funded project, and Windows of Hope, before pausing her film career to pursue advanced academic studies. “I had to juggle marriage, motherhood, and a master’s degree,” she explained. With mentorship from Professors Susan Kiguli and Dipio, she transitioned into academia and later earned a PhD.

Dr. Cindy Magara flanked by Head of Department of Literature, Dr. Eve Nabulya addressing the audience. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Cindy Magara flanked by Head of Department of Literature, Dr. Eve Nabulya addressing the audience.

After completing her studies, Magara returned to filmmaking with Tuko Pamoja (Swahili for We Are One), a 13-part documentary series exploring Uganda’s pre-colonial ethnic unity and shared cultural heritage. The project blends various documentary techniques—observation, exposition, interaction, and reflection.

“The documentary seeks to foster cohesion by examining our interconnected past,” she said. “If we were relating together, then we were one.”

Magara revealed that the idea for the series was inspired by the political intrigue of Game of Thrones, likening Uganda’s 19th-century power dynamics—particularly involving historical figures like Kabalega and Mwanga—to an epic African saga.

Dr. Cindy Magara with her students in a group photo after the function. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Cindy Magara with her students in a group photo after the function.

Originally intended as a single short film to attract funding for a full-length feature, the project evolved into a full series following extensive community research. Magara interviewed historians, cultural leaders, and opinion makers across Uganda. “This became my classroom,” she noted. “I learned so much—I think the Department of History should give me an honorary PhD.”

Tuko Pamoja was premiered in the very communities where the research was conducted, receiving support from local media houses and sponsors. Magara credited UBC, NBS, and Vision Group for providing extensive free media coverage. “UBC told me, ‘We are sorry you’re doing what we should have done long ago,’” she recalled.

The series, currently accessible via nyatimotionpictures.com and the upcoming Nyatiflix app, has also generated academic interest, prompting calls to recognize such creative works as legitimate research outputs.

Film promoters and students join Dr. Cindy Magara, Prof. Helen Nkabala and Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi in a group photo after the function. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Film promoters and students join Dr. Cindy Magara, Prof. Helen Nkabala and Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi in a group photo after the function.

“We must think of film not only as an art but as research and business,” Magara emphasized. “Film is the evening class. If we fail to tell our stories, someone else will do it for us.”

Magara expressed gratitude to her mentors, students, sponsors, and family—including her husband, who helped finance the production. Plans are underway for wider distribution on local television stations and digital platforms.

As the event concluded, Magara left a message for aspiring creatives: “Film is powerful. It’s how we entertain, educate, and decolonize the screen.”

A section of participants attending the screening. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
A section of participants attending the screening.

“Lighting the Screen: A Story of Art, Identity, and Nation”

“We need to cultivate an audience. We need to teach our people that consuming art is not luxury—it is culture. It is growth.” Prof. Sr. Dipio Dominica

It was a warm afternoon, and the hall was alive with quiet anticipation. At the front sat three figures who had long walked the corridors of Uganda’s most prestigious institution—each one a torchbearer in the creative arts. Professor Abasi Kiyimba, long known for his eloquence and firm grasp of literature, stood to open the conversation. His voice, familiar and thoughtful, welcomed the audience into a dialogue not just about film, but about the soul of a nation.

“In the Department of Literature,” he began, “we’ve always believed in crossing boundaries. We have mothered other departments—film, drama, music. And now, here we are, watching Uganda retell herself through the lens of the camera.”

Prof. Abasi Kiyimba moderated the panel discussions. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Abasi Kiyimba moderated the panel discussions.

He turned to Professor Dominica Dipio, a former student of his who had become a pioneer in Ugandan film. With a soft smile, he asked, “At what point did you realize that film had to be added to the menu of your literary journey?”

Professor Dipio’s response was part memory, part reflection. She traced her path back to the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where she had gone to study literature. But to her surprise, there was no African literature course. Instead, she was nudged by wise Jesuit professors toward film—a medium they described as an art form closely tied to literature.

“It made sense,” she said. “Storytelling is at the heart of both. Writing with a camera—this is what film allows us to do. It was as though I had been prepared for this all along.”

When she returned to Uganda, she found a generation of students hungry for a new kind of expression. They weren’t waiting to be told what to do. They were already calling themselves filmmakers.

“I had taught them just the basics,” she chuckled, “and they were already making films and introducing themselves as directors. I thought, ‘Please, let’s be humble.’ But inside, I was proud. They had vision.”

Prof. Dipio Dominica contributing to the discussion. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Dipio Dominica contributing to the discussion.

From there, Makerere’s halls began to echo not only with poetry and novels but with the buzz of editing software, the click of cameras, and scripts written in digital ink. Film festivals like Maisha, Amakula, and Zanzibar became essential spaces of collaboration. The National Theatre turned into a second campus.

And sitting beside Dipio was another creative soul with his own journey—Dr. Milton Wabyona, a man who had nearly disappeared from the education system.

“I’m a school dropout,” he confessed quietly. “Few people know that. I was studying physics, economics, and math. But I couldn’t pay fees.”

It was music—specifically a dance troupe—that pulled him back. A woman named Dr. Jessica Kawa recognized his talent and gave him a chance.

“I told her, ‘I don’t care what I study. I just want to go back to school.’ That’s how I entered the creative arts.”

Prof. Abasi Kiyimba, Prof. Dipio Dominica and Dr. Milton Wabyona during the discussion. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Abasi Kiyimba, Prof. Dipio Dominica and Dr. Milton Wabyona during the discussion.

Music, he argued, is more than melody. It teaches collaboration, humanity, and interdependence.

“No matter how gifted I am, I can’t sing harmony alone,” he said. “I need others.”

He quoted Plato, reminding the room that the arts were once central to shaping good citizens and preserving culture. The arts, he said, are not just subjects—they are the soul of education.

As the discussion deepened, Prof. Kiyimba asked a profound question: What is this film we just watched? Is it literature? History? Art?

Professor Dipio leaned back and explained that film, as the “seventh art,” gathers all other forms—literature, painting, music, theatre, sculpture—and weaves them into one cohesive experience. She invoked Aristotle to explain how literature and history are both rooted in reality, but art reshapes that reality, making us see it anew.

“Film is a representation,” she said. “It tells history not by simply stating facts, but by shaping them, giving them voice and character.”

Dr. Milton Wabyona speaking during the panel discussion. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Milton Wabyona speaking during the panel discussion.

Characters like Queen, Mwanga, Kabelega, and others in the film weren’t just historical names—they had become people with motivations, fears, and contradictions. That was the power of art.

Then Dr. Wabyona took the floor once more.

“Music speaks in ways plain words never can,” he said. “You don’t need to understand Lingala to dance to Congolese music. That’s how powerful rhythm and pitch are.”

But behind the excitement lay a persistent concern—money. Could Ugandan cinema be self-sustaining?

Dipio paused before answering. She didn’t sugarcoat it.

“We are not yet consuming enough art,” she said. “We don’t have the culture of going to the cinema like in Burkina Faso, where the whole country stops for the FESPACO film festival.”

Comedy, she admitted, was one area where Ugandans paid. But serious artistic films struggled.

“We need to cultivate an audience. We need to teach our people that consuming art is not luxury—it is culture. It is growth.”

Wabyona agreed. He shared how many Ugandan productions, like Ndere Troupe, offer free shows, yet the audiences are overwhelmingly foreign.

“When your own people don’t show up,” he said, “you begin to understand the kind of crisis we’re in.”

The audience watching the film. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
The audience watching the film.

Then, quietly, the conversation turned to the political dangers of art.

“Have you ever censored yourself?” Kiyimba asked Dipio.

She smiled.

“So far, my films have been harmless. But make no mistake—art is political. Even saying it’s not political is a political act.”

She quoted a colleague: “Art disturbs.” And that’s what makes it powerful—and dangerous.

“Where the state seeks to unify, art challenges. It asks hard questions. It stirs the water.”

And yet, art also carries hope.

As the discussion ended, the audience was left with a simple but profound idea: A society can be judged by the art it consumes. In that sense, the future of Uganda’s creative arts isn’t just about budgets, scripts, or shows—it’s about whether its people choose to see themselves on the screen, in the music, in the dance, in the story.

And that choice, perhaps, is the most powerful act of all.

Jane Anyango is the Principal Communication Officer, CHUSS

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Students stroll past the Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility-CTF (Left) and School of Social Sciences (Right) on the Makerere University Main Campus. Staircase, Walkway, Male, Female, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Centre for Language and Communication Services (CLCS), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) Makerere University in collaboration with the Korea International
Cooperation Agency (KOICA) invite applications for Korean Language Classes for students and members of the public.

Courses by Level

  • Beginner
  • Elementary
  • Intermediate
  • Online
  • TOPIK

Instructor: Wongo Yoon wongoyoon@gmail.com

Registration is open, you can register to join the course any time of the year.

Registration:

To register, call the Centre for Language and Communication Services (CLCS): +256 756 12 8046 / +256 775 424704

For more information Whatsapp: +256 790 505658 (Yoon) / +256 757 710511 (Mariam)

See downloads for Class Timetable

The Korean Corner is located on the 2nd floor of the Main Library at Makerere University.

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