General
Vice Chancellor’s Roster against Sexual Harassment Meets, Shares Milestones & Experiences
The Vice Chancellor’s Roster of 100 to investigate Sexual Harassment at Makerere University has called upon the University Leadership to reinforce its commitment and support toward elimination of violence, abuse and sexual harassment at the university. This was during the two days (14th– 15th June 2022) of the Refresher Training that was organized by Makerere University Gender Mainstreaming Directorate in partnership with UN Women.
In line with section 18 part (a) of Makerere University Policy and Regulations against sexual harassment 2006 (as amended), the Vice-Chancellor on 1st August 2019, appointed 100 members of the Vice Chancellor’s Standing Roster to investigate sexual harassment.
According to Makerere University Policy and Regulations against Sexual Harassment, the Vice Chancellor’s Roster of 100 includes well-selected persons of integrity from which ad-hoc committees will be drawn to investigate specific reported complaints of sexual harassment. The Roster represents all categories of groups in the University community that is; academic, administrative, and support staff, students (undergraduate and postgraduate) as well as all hierarchical ranks within those categories.
The team appreciated the University Management for taking a bold step aimed at breaking the power-authority chains that had acted as barricades to perpetrators and protected them as untouchables. They further appealed to the University leadership to always cooperate and support the teams/members investigating sexual harassment cases. “We need back up from the leadership to ensure that however powerful a person is, as long as they have been mentioned in any Sexual Harassment scandal, they are not protected.”
During the training, the team recognized the critical importance of their work and also highlighted the possible risks involved when investigating sexual harassment cases including death threats to both the victims and investigators. In addition, the team recorded the need to intensify sensitization campaigns in order to reduce the knowledge gap on Gender-Based Violence, abuse, and sexual Harassment that exists among staff and students as well as the wider University community.
Sharing milestones and experiences
The team also shared experiences, and progress achieved throughout the two years of executing their work. In a presentation made by Ms. Susan Mbabazi, the Principal Gender Officer -Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, since 2019, the VC’s Roster of 100 has been able to investigate to conclusion eight (8) cases out of the twenty-two that were reported.
“Twenty-two cases have been reported for the last two years, eight (8) were investigated to conclusion of which five (5) were successfully handled and three (3) were acquitted, one (1) case has been referred to the police; Three (3) cases were overtaken by events and they lost jurisdiction and one (1) case was withdrawn,” she said.
Ms. Mbabazi noted that the results indicate a stronger step that has been taken by the team to execute their duties amidst recognizable challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world for two years. She was optimistic that after the lockdown, their work will be much easier, highlighting the Nine (9) cases that are currently being investigated.
In the same training, participants also reflected on the Makerere University Gender Equity Policy and Policy and Regulations against Sexual Harassment as key tools in the fight against the vice at the university. In an interactive session conducted by the Director of Gender Mainstreaming, Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine, the team called for an enhancement in the dissemination and communication of the two policies to both staff and students.
“It is high time we utilize all the communication and information points of the university to communicate and emphasize the importance of the two policies. The extended knowledge of the policies should be one of the key performance indicators for the University and students’ leadership,” they noted.
In a speech read by Ms. Nina Asiimwe Byarugaba, the Deputy Country Representative of UN Women Uganda Ms. Adekemi Ndieli, commended Makerere University for the review and production of the Policy and Regulation Against Sexual Harassment; noting that the policy provides the much-needed institutional framework to effectively respond to sexual harassment issues in a well-coordinated, coherent fashion, one that will particularly promote perpetrator accountability.
“UN Women in Uganda is committed to ending all forms of violence against women and girls. We recognize that ending violence against women and girls is a critical move to ensure that they have access to justice. We emphasize that access to justice is an essential ingredient for effective, accountable, and gender-responsive to the realization of women’s and girls’ rights which cannot be denied,” she said.
Noting that violence against women and girls is highly pervasive, entrenched and normalized in Uganda, Ms. Ndieli, stressed, that although efforts have been put in place to abate it, through legislation and sensitization of the relevant duty bearers on how to effectively manage gender-based violence cases, obtaining full protection and accountability of GBV crimes remains a challenge.
“We are mindful of the fact that efficient and effective management of gender-based violence cases requires extensive preparation, specific skills, substantive knowledge and resources, and the Policy and Regulation Against Sexual Harassment is a critical solution to these needs,” she noted.
She extended sincere appreciation to the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate and Makerere University for conducting a refresher training for members of the Vice Chancellor’s Roster of 100 as a follow-up on progress as well as re-equipping the team with skills and techniques for addressing some of the persistent challenges of access to justice for women and girls.
Members also highlighted the role of men in the elimination of gender-based violence and particularly, sexual harassment among communities. In a presentation made on Male Engagement in Gender equality interventions: What can men do to work with women in challenging sexual harassment and gender-based violence at Makerere University, Dr. Julius Kikooma noted the manner in which the socialization processes are embedded within the men’s sexuality and their psyche is ill-explored. According to him, the socialization processes that men undergo in their sexual development can lead them toward normalizing sexual violence.
He called for collective efforts to harness positive masculinities to promote an educational environment that is free of sexual harassment. In the same spirit, Dr. Kikooma urged the Makerere University community to open up opportunities to question hegemonic beliefs and practices upon which harmful forms of masculinities in Higher education institutions are constituted.
“We need to rethink and re-imagine institutions of higher learning as intellectual spaces with Institutionalized structures and spaces that promote conversation on progressive male behaviors and practices,” he stated.
Participants were also engaged on:
- Legal and Policy Frameworks for Gender-Based Violence and Violence against Women and Girls by Mr. Mayanja Idi Mubarak, Principal Women in Development Officer- Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development
- Sexual Harassment Prosecutions; Lessons from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions by Samali Wakooli, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of Gender Children and Sexual Offences Department.
- Sexual Harassment Investigations; Lessons from the Uganda Police Force by Rose Nalubega, Commissioner, Sexual, Children Offences and Trafficking in Persons Department, Directorate of CID, Uganda Police Force.
- Strategies for effective staff and student mobilization against sexual harassment by Prof. Fred Babweteera
In a landmark event symbolizing Uganda’s stride towards sustainable transportation, Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, commissioned the first Electric Fast-Charging Station at Makerere University on Friday 13th March 2026. The ceremony, held at the Senate Building Parking Lot, marks a pivotal moment in the nation’s e-mobility journey, blending academic innovation with industrial application and governmental support.
The station, a DC Fast Charger C6-180 installed in collaboration with Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), is designed to power electric vehicles efficiently, supporting Uganda’s shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. This setup ensures high-power DC charging ideal for fleet operations.
Hon. Dr. Musenero, in her keynote remarks, highlighted the profound significance of the occasion, tracing its roots back to 2011 when Makerere unveiled the Kiira EV – Uganda’s first electric vehicle prototype. “This infrastructure is the physical manifestation of a journey that began on this very hill nearly two decades ago,” she stated, emphasizing how the university’s initial proof-of-concept challenged skepticism about Africa’s role in automotive technology.
The event, she noted, completes a narrative full circle, with the birthplace of the Kiira EV now hosting the infrastructure to sustain a modern electric fleet. The commissioning aligns seamlessly with Uganda’s National E-Mobility Strategy, which aims to localize 65% of the e-mobility value chain by 2040 and create over 500,000 high-quality green jobs.
Hon. Dr. Musenero underscored the strategy’s focus on reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels while enhancing environmental well-being. “We are transforming Uganda into a net source of e-mobility solutions,” she declared, pointing to the potential for Ugandan intellect to produce vehicle parts and charging systems domestically.
In his remarks at the event, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe described the launch as a “multi-faceted achievement,” not only advancing the institution’s inclusive agenda but also setting an example for public institutions in adopting e-mobility. In so doing, Makerere University has positioned itself at the forefront of this transition.
On September 26, 2025, President Yoweri Museveni commissioned the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja and handed over three Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) buses to Makerere University to enhance staff and student mobility. The fleet included two diesel-powered Kayoola Coaches and one electric Kayoola EVS 8.5m bus donated by KMC specifically to aid the movement of differently-abled staff and students. This move demonstrates academia’s capacity to integrate home-grown solutions into daily operations, impacting the economy through practical science.
The commissioning of the fast-charging station is rooted in a long history of collaboration. The Kiira Electric Vehicle Project, hatched in the former Faculty of Technology, has evolved into a national movement for automotive manufacturing. Hon. Dr. Musenero praised this progression: “We have moved beyond proving that an electric vehicle can be built in Uganda. We are now ensuring our electric vehicles are deployed across the continent, solving Africa’s mobility problems.”
Academia’s role remains central, as Hon. Dr. Musenero elaborated. While government provides policy frameworks and the private sector offers capital, universities supply the essential knowledge. The E-Mobility Skilling Programme at Makerere University‘s Innovation Pod (Mak-UniPod) is training the next generation of electric vehicle engineers, who are tackling “moonshot projects” to redefine urban transport. Research into optimizing local resources, such as Uganda’s lithium and cobalt deposits for battery production, is also underway.
A key environmental highlight of this development is Uganda’s renewable energy advantage. With over 95% of the national grid powered by hydroelectric dams, every charge at this station utilizes clean energy. “We are using our own water to power our own vehicles, keeping our wealth within our economy rather than exporting it to purchase foreign oil,” Hon. Dr. Musenero remarked, framing the launch as Uganda plugging into the global renewable shift. She pledged the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Secretariat’s continued collaboration with Makerere University, KMC, and partners to proliferate such stations across Kampala and beyond.
Addressing Makerere students, Hon. Dr. Musenero issued a challenge: “See this charging station as a symbol of your own potential. The engineers who built the first Kiira EV were once sitting exactly where you are. They did not wait for permission to be great.” She urged them to leverage available resources to innovate, building on a legacy that has shifted national conversations.
The event drew distinguished guests, including Members of Management, Eng. Paul Isaac Musasizi, KMC’s CEO and his management team, private sector partners, development agencies, and university faculty.
Looking ahead, this launch propels Uganda towards a “Qualitative Leap” in its economy, as Hon. Dr. Musenero described. By fostering innovation and investing in young minds, the nation aims to lead in technological advancement. The station not only powers vehicles but ignites progress, ensuring Uganda remains at the forefront of Africa’s e-mobility revolution.
As the ceremony which was intermittently “blessed” by drizzles drew to a close, the feeling of hope for a cleaner, self-reliant future – one charged by Ugandan ingenuity, was unmistakable.
General
Makerere University and International Partners Sign MoU for the 9th Kampala Geopolitics Conference
Makerere University, on 10th March, 2026, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Embassy of France in Uganda, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), and Alliance Française de Kampala to organize the 9th edition of the Kampala Geopolitics Conference (KGC), scheduled to take place on 15–16 April 2026 at Makerere University.
The signing formalizes the continued partnership that has established the Kampala Geopolitics Conference as one of the region’s leading platforms for dialogue on global affairs, bringing together scholars, policymakers, civil society leaders, and students to debate the major geopolitical and socio-economic transformations shaping the world.
The conference, inspired by the Nantes Geopolitics Conference in France, was first launched in Kampala in 2018 and has since grown into a unique intellectual space for cross-continental exchange between Africa and Europe.
A Platform for Ideas, Dialogue, and Youth Engagement
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, emphasized the importance of the Kampala Geopolitics Conference as a platform that connects academic discourse with global policy conversations while empowering students to engage with the complex challenges shaping the international system.
The Vice Chancellor noted that hosting the conference reflects Makerere University’s long-standing commitment to fostering intellectual exchange and positioning the institution as a hub for regional and global dialogue.
“Makerere University is proud to host the Kampala Geopolitics Conference because it creates an important platform for debate and exchange on the global issues shaping our world, while giving our students the opportunity to engage directly with leading thinkers and policymakers,” said Prof. Nawangwe.
Prof. Nawangwe further commended the Embassy of France in Uganda, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Alliance Française de Kampala for their continued collaboration with Makerere University in organizing the conference over the years. He expressed confidence that the 2026 edition will once again provide a dynamic platform for dialogue, bringing together scholars, policymakers, and students to examine the geopolitical trends shaping Africa and the wider world.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, H.E. Virginie Leroy, Ambassador of France to Uganda, highlighted the significance of the conference as a platform that encourages dialogue on global issues while empowering young people to participate in shaping the future.
Since its inception, the Kampala Geopolitics Conference has created opportunities for students, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to engage with some of the most pressing global debates. The Ambassador noted that the curiosity and engagement of Ugandan students have become one of the defining features of the conference.
“This conference has become a unique space where students, researchers, policymakers and civil society exchange ideas on the major transformations shaping our world,” Ambassador Leroy said, adding that the event demonstrates the intellectual vitality of Uganda’s youth and the strength of the partnerships that sustain it.
Strengthening Partnerships for Global Dialogue
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a long-standing partner in the initiative, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting platforms that foster meaningful discussions on international affairs and regional dynamics.
Speaking during the ceremony, Anna Reismann, Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Uganda, emphasized the importance of the conference in connecting local perspectives with global debates.
She noted that Africa has increasingly become a focal point in global geopolitics, attracting engagement from a wide range of international actors through investments, trade, security cooperation, and diplomatic partnerships. While these engagements create new opportunities for economic growth and technological advancement, they also raise important questions about sustainability, governance, and the terms of international cooperation.
According to Reismann, the conference provides an important forum to examine these issues and to encourage dialogue that bridges academic perspectives with practical policy considerations.
The 2026 edition of the Kampala Geopolitics Conference will focus on key global and regional issues shaping international relations and development.
Among the themes to be explored are the future of development cooperation, particularly as global aid dynamics evolve and countries explore more sustainable and balanced partnerships. Another panel will examine youth and public policy in Africa, recognizing the critical role that young people play in shaping governance, innovation, and development across the continent.
With Africa home to the youngest population in the world, discussions will highlight the importance of ensuring that young people are not only beneficiaries of public policies but also active contributors to their design and implementation.
Makerere University at the Centre of Global Conversations
Hosting the conference reflects Makerere University’s continued commitment to fostering intellectual exchange and positioning the institution as a hub for regional and international dialogue.
Through its partnerships with global institutions such as the Embassy of France, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Alliance Française de Kampala, Makerere continues to create platforms that connect academic knowledge with policy discussions and real-world challenges.
The Kampala Geopolitics Conference is expected to once again bring together leading experts, scholars, and practitioners from across Africa and Europe, while providing students with a rare opportunity to engage directly with global debates.
As preparations for the 2026 edition gather momentum, the partners expressed confidence that the conference will continue to inspire critical thinking, encourage dialogue across disciplines and generations, and strengthen cooperation between Africa and its international partners.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.
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