Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe (Left) receiving UGX 25 million cash from Dr. Robinah Kulabako and Dr. Twine Bananuka on 12th December 2022.
As Makerere University staff and friends continue to fundraise resources to save the people of Karamoja from starvation, hunger and death, the Fundraising team appointed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has today, Monday 12th December 2022 presented the first batch of resources mobilised consisting of cash contributions worth UGX 25 million and other relief items to the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe.
Makerere University joined the Karamoja Fundraising Drive on 7th October 2022 during a Corporate Prayer Breakfast and Staff Luncheon organized at the University’s Freedom Square by Pastors Robert and Jessica Kayanja to praise God for the 100 years of Makerere University’s transformation and contribution to humanity.
During the praise, worship and prayer engagement with Makerere University leadership and staff who had convened at the Freedom Square, Pastor Robert Kayanja shared videos of the famine in Karamoja and its consequences. The effects of climate change such as prolonged drought led to crop failures which have exacerbated the famine that continues to plague this mineral-rich region. It is hard to imagine a life where you and your family are reduced to eating leaves to stay alive.
Moved by the videos of people in Karamoja starving to death and the fundraising campaign through “The Karamoja Cry” being undertaken by the Robert Kayanja Ministries, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe pledged to champion Pastor Robert and Jessica Kayanja’s Karamoja initiative at Makerere University. In this regard, Prof. Nawangwe announced a fundraising drive aimed at helping to address the food insecurity in Karamoja sub-region. Prof. Nawangwe pledged to reach out to members of staff at Makerere University to contribute money and relief items in order to save the people of Karamoja from hunger and death.
Dr. Robinah Kulabako and Dr. Twine Bananuka handover relief items.
Rallying staff to contribute to “The Karamoja Cry,” the Vice Chancellor appointed Dr. Twine Bananuka from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) and Dr. Robinah Kulabako from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) to receive the contributions in form of cash and relief items.
Presenting the first batch of the resources (both in cash and relief items) so far contributed, Dr. Twine Bananuka and Dr. Robinah Kulabako emphasized that the fundraising drive is still going on, and pointed out that more members of staff at Makerere University and friends are still mobilizing resources.
“We are handing over the first batch of the cash and relief items to the Office of the Vice Chancellor so that the contribution from Makerere University towards the Karamoja Cry is received by the Pastor Robert and Jessica Kayanja Ministries to support preparation for the next planting season,” Dr. Bananuka said.
Receiving the cash contribution of UGX 25 million and relief items, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe who is also the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) applauded Makerere University staff and friends for responding to the Vice Chancellor’s call to join the fundraising drive to save the people of Karamoja from hunger. Appreciating that the fundraising drive was still going on, Prof. Alinaitwe has further appealed to staff and friends of Makerere University to contribute generously towards the Karamoja Fundraising Initiative.
In the same spirit, Prof. Alinaitwe commended Pastors Robert and Jessica Kayanja for coming up with the noble cause of reaching out to Ugandans and institutions such as Makerere University in order to contribute resources to save people of Karamoja from starvation, hunger and death.
72 undergraduate students of Makerere University have successfully been admitted to the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2026, an initiative of the Millennium Campus Network (MCN) and United Nations Academic Impact. Makerere’s Fellows were selected from a record-breaking 76,000 applicants from over 6,000 campuses across 174 countries to participate in the ambitious programme.
According to the Fellowship website, the programme aims to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN Academic Impact Principles a reality on campuses, in classrooms and throughout communities. Millennium Fellows are university undergraduates selected for their leadership on sustainable development projects in their communities. As Fellows, they complete a semester-long leadership development programme that strengthens their student organizing, partnership-building and community-impact skills.
In his congratulatory message to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Sam Vaghar the Executive Director, MCN shared that Over 330 campuses across 60 nations have been selected to host 2026 Millenium Fellows. “Congratulations to you and Makerere University for having a cohort of Millennium Fellows from your student body again this year!”
Below is a sample of the work of the Class of 2026.
At Harvard University, a UN Academic Impact member institution in the United States of America, Millennium Fellows are expanding OpenDoor, an AI-powered platform that helps people navigate retraining, job opportunities and pathways into high-demand careers. The project grew from their work with people experiencing homelessness and from seeing how difficult workforce programmes can be to navigate even when support exists. Advancing SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, it expects to reach about 7,500 people during the Fellowship.
At the University of Ilorin, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Nigeria, Millennium Fellows are building what they describe as Africa’s first green AI policy framework, helping policymakers and developers understand how artificial intelligence can advance while reducing energy use, pollution and material waste. Aligned with SDG 13: Climate Action, it expects to reach about 75 people during the Fellowship.
At BRAC University, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Bangladesh, a Millennium Fellow is advancing SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production through a start-up replacing single-use products with environmentally friendly alternatives. Its current focus is a paper pen that uses roughly 90 per cent less plastic than a conventional pen, with a seed built in so it can grow into a plant when properly disposed of. The project expects to reach about 450 people.
At Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Moldova, a Millennium Fellow is advancing SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by studying how environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity may affect recovery after brain surgery. By bringing simple digital monitoring tools into postoperative care, the project aims to help doctors make timelier decisions.
We wish our Millennium Fellows an impactful fellowship.
The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released admission lists of candidates admitted under the Talented Sports Men & Women, Disability and District Quota Schemes with Government sponsorship 2026/27 Academic Year including appeals and remarked cases.
Other admission lists released include A-Level Applicants with Ugandan and those with Foreign Qualifications, Diploma in Performing Arts, Mature-Age Entry and Bachelor of Education (EXTERNAL Batch 2) for the Academic Year 2026/2027 under self sponsorship.
Makerere University‘s position in the July 2026 edition of the Webometrics Rankings has improved from 925th to 776th globally and from 13th to 11th on the Continent, compared to the January 2026 edition. Makerere remains the top-ranked University in Uganda and East Africa.
The new rankings are as a result of improved performance in the Impact Rank, which measures the number of external domains referring/linking to Makerere (from 1,593 to 1,185) and the Excellence Rank, which measures Research papers in the top 10% most cited between 2019 and 2023 (from 1,095 to 715).
Please see the attached screenshots for details or view Makerere‘s rankings online using the link below:
The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities aims to recognize and promote the digital transformation of higher education institutions by evaluating how effectively they reflect their academic, research, and societal contributions online.
We remain committed to ensuring that all our good work in teaching and learning, research, knowledge transfer, and partnerships continues to be reflected online through various journals and other platforms.