General
Mak Public Fair on Academic Transcripts Opens
Makerere University on Tuesday 8th November, 2022 officially commenced a two-week Public Fair on Academic Transcripts and Certificates at the Freedom Square. Spearheaded by the Department of the Academic Registrar, the Public Fair is technically supported by the Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS), Finance Directorate and staff from Makerere University Business School (MUBS). The interdepartmental effort was flagged off at a Press Conference addressed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Academic Registrar, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi and the Deputy Registrar (Examinations, Transcripts and Certificates), Mr. Otim Lynd Tom.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor noted this was a special day in the history of Makerere as it held its first ever Public Fair to handle the most important documents issued to graduates of the University.
“We took a decision that as we celebrate 100 years, we should hold this public fair to enable anybody who has any issue with their transcript or certificate to get that issue resolved so that they can walk home with their document” remarked the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Nawangwe added that statistics revealed that while a few thousands of transcripts remained uncollected or issued, certificates formed the bigger number of uncollected academic documents. “That probably speaks to the fact that most employers are satisfied with transcripts.”
The Vice Chancellor thanked the Department of the Academic Registrar for working hard to ensure that all the issues affecting the issuance of transcripts and certificates are resolved. “The Department has got a very good record of the transcripts and certificates that have not been collected and as you have seen in the media previously, these date back to the fifties.”
Prof. Nawangwe therefore appealed to the media to ensure that the public fair receives wide publicity so that all alumni who may have any issues regarding their academic credentials are reached. He reaffirmed that the public fair was demonstration of the University’s readiness to resolve any issues.
Additionally, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi noted that the public fair was aimed at mobilizing public participation in the attainment of Makerere University‘s core values of professionalism, integrity and responsiveness to customer needs in as far as academic documents are concerned.
The Academic Registrar shared that as the custodian of all transcripts and certificates, the Department was mindful that there we some alumni who could have lost their documents in various circumstances. He equally invited all those that might fall in this category to visit the public fair and receive assistance.
“We want to renew our commitment to all our alumni and those interested in pursuing their academic careers at this university that we are a credible flagship university, and we remain committed to our ideals to develop the human resource capacity in this country, region and globally. Therefore the internal challenges you face are core to our business and we want to solve them jointly” concluded Prof. Buyinza.
Elaborating on the joint nature of the public fair, Mr. Otim who doubles as the Chairperson of the Interdepartmental Task Force Tracer Process to Address all Outstanding Transcripts Issues at Makerere University remarked that the assembly of various departments under one roof was aimed at resolving all pending issues transparently.
Mr. Otim acknowledged that although there have been technical issues surrounding issuance of some transcripts, a lot has been done to resolve them and all matters raised by stakeholders going forward will be handled on a case-by-case basis. He thanked the Vice Chancellor and University Management for the support accorded to the organisation of the Public Fair and the Media for covering the event.
The Public Fair on Academic Transcripts and Certificates will run for two weeks starting 8th November 2022, from 9:00AM to 4:00PM on all weekdays including Saturdays. A mobile application to help alumni check the status of their transcripts is being developed and a link will be shared in due course.
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
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