Humanities & Social Sciences
Mak School of Languages to start new Masters programmes in different languages next year 2023
The School of Languages, Literature and Communication will next year 2023 start new graduate programs in different languages including French, Kiswahili, English studies and Luganda among others.
This was disclosed during the school’s open day held on 9th December 2022 at the Yusuf Lule Auditorium. The school also launched two books and a journal of languages.
The Dean School of Languages, Literature and Communication Dr. Saudah Namyalo said the school has nurtured and churned out great men and artists through the gates of Makerere University.
“We are also here to celebrate out languages and cultures. We believe in unity in diversity. As you can see we have students from different ethnic backgrounds. We have been involved in different researches that’s why we are here today celebrating those achievements”, She said
To support the University in its strategic move of transforming into a research led university, Dr. Namyalo said the school will ensure that they have adequate graduate programs.
“The school has come up with master’s degree in French studies, Literature, Journalism and communication, Linguistics and many more. So the school is in the process of finalizing most of these curricular. And we believe with all these programs, we shall be able to do research in our languages”, Namyalo explained
Recognizing that the entire world survives partly on science and technology, Dean Namyalo stressed that linguistics believe that the country cannot have meaningful transformation if science and technology is dressed in foreign languages.
“So what we are doing as a school is to position ourselves, do research and publish to ensure that our languages can be used to teach science and technology. This is possible as we have seen it happen in other countries like China and Japan. We believe if we do the same we are going to have all these wonderful innovations by both highly and non-highly educated communicated in a language they understand. And that’s part of our agenda and we believe as linguistics, we have a very big block to add to science and technology advancement in Uganda”, she added.
Dr. Namyalo appealed to parents to pass on their heritage to their children calling upon them to speak to children in their mother tongue.
“We have the educated group of people thinking that when you speak with your child from birth in a foreign language, then they will become intelligent and prosperous but as linguists we think to the contrary and believe that if you deny your child opportunity to speak, grow and develop using their own mother tongue, you are doing a very big disadvantage to them.
Also remember that our languages and cultures make us who we are. I am a Muganda because I have a language and a culture associated to me. Now when you kill this that means you are going to become a nobody”, The Dean advised.
The Principal College of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Josephine Ahikire described the school as a cradle for language diversification in the region hence the celebrating.
“The school has curved out its kind of celebration that has a rich menu of poems, songs, presentations by our alumni”.
She said the school has developed a number of Masters programs to help the university achieve its goal of becoming research led.
“As A university we continue to enrich the curriculum and for Makerere, the next step that we are taking is to become a research led. It is at graduate level that you produce a true skilled university graduate, continue to build that capacity of critical thinkers and innovators to solve human predicaments”, the Principal said.
The celebration were also marked by two panel discussions. Prof. Oswold Ndolerire delivered the key note speech on Trends and Perspectives of Language Teaching at Makerere University. Panelists Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, Mrs Shirley Byakutaga, the representative from the German embassy Mr. Christian Kettlhut and the representative of the Libyan Embassy Hesham gave their reflections on the topic.
Prof. Abasi Kiyimba delivered a keynote speech on the Reflections on the Historical 1962 Literary Conference at Makerere University with panelists Julian Namiyinga and Dr. Danstan Kahyana giving their reflections.
The centennial celebrations were also characterized by cultural performances from students consisting of fashion show, songs, dance and poetry recitations in Kiswahili, Spanish, German, French, English, Chinese, Runyakitara, Luo, Madi, Luganda among others.
A nation without culture is no nation- Mak DVCAA
In his closing remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs represented by CAES Principal Assoc. Prof. Gorrettie Nabanoga commended the school for the exemplary performance exhibited by the students.
“Thank you for showcasing what Makerere has. I didn’t know our students would sing, dance, show case talent and I realized that out there Makerere is not known I hope the media has captured this because it’s the first of its kind to be demonstrated by Makerere University.
This is what we call solid engagement with each other across disciplines. What has happened here today has not just been a show, it is a celebration of the field of languages literature and communication. This is a celebration within a hundred years and we are glad to witness the school of languages literature and communication achieve in time”, She said.
Nabanoga noted that the discussion of the trends and perspectives of language teaching at Makerere university and the impact of the famous 1962 Literally conference of writers in English expression which is also celebrating 60 years is a confirmation that the university engages the past to be able to build the future as the motto states.
In having these conversations, Nabanoga said, it shows the relevance of language to national development and open conversations on how to relate with each other.
“I am sure that this is a conversation that should not end here but continue for years to come. We must not lose our language because there are part of who we are and they demonstrate our cultural heritage.
A nation without culture is no nation. The fact that we embrace our culture continues to have us who we are. We must also have languages so as to have a better way of serving each other in the world. We are one family though different cultures, everything is one.” Dr. Nabanoga stressed
Nabanoga commended the School of Languages Literature and Communication for showing the way in this regard.
“Art demonstrates a lot, culture is an art and as we embrace diversity we cannot forget that the School of Languages Literature and Communication has showed us what we ought to do at Makerere University. Allow me thank the leadership of the whole college at CHUSS for your commitment in ensuring that the humanities do not merely survive but actually thrive at Makerere university. This is the beginning, we expect to see more of such events in the college”, She added.
She appreciated all participants for making time to participate in this event, promising full support for the disciplines understudy in the school of languages literature and communication.
If you missed this massive event, catch up on line by clicking on the link below:
We also bring you a pictorial of the event on the link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12tbbOWvyILUEFeAlQxj9kraoDFrSlu8z
On the morning of Friday, February 27, when the academic procession winds its way across Makerere University’s Freedom Square for the last day of the 76th Graduation Ceremony, Whitney Najjuka will walk into history with a number beside her name: 4.46.
At Makerere, that number means First Class Honours. It means the Vice Chancellor’s List. It means she graduates as the only First-Class student in Journalism and Communication this year. But numbers, as Whitney has learned, rarely tell the full story.
Born on March 27, 2002, in Nabbingo, Kyengera Town Council, to Margaret Kusemererwa and Fred Kasirye, dreamt she would do Law, one of the disciplines, prestigious, almost inevitable next steps for a student who had excelled in secondary school. She had done everything correctly. Studied hard. Scored well. Followed the script.
But Makerere University had other plans. She missed the pre-entry mark, but found her name under Journalism and Communication, another prestigious course offered by the Journalism and Communication Department at Makerere University.
Najjuka began her academic journey at Muto Primary School in Buwama, earning 8 aggregates in the Primary Leaving Examination, a performance that positioned her strongly for secondary school.
She would later join St. Lucia Hill School, Namagoma, where she earned 20 aggregates at O-Level and 17 points in History, Luganda, and Divinity at A-Level.
Missing her dream course, Law, felt at first, like a detour. But Whitney was encouraged by Sanyu Christopher, her uncle, and she settled for a government-sponsored slot in the Bachelor of Journalism and Communication at Makerere, which she had applied for before.
She entered uncertain. But she graduates transformed.
The Pivot That Became a Purpose
Whitney speaks of her early university days with candor. She did not arrive at the Department of Journalism and Communication with a burning childhood ambition to be a journalist, but because another door had closed.
Then, Social and Behavior Change Communication happened. Applied Strategic Communication happened. She began to see media not as headlines and microphones, but as architecture, shaping how societies think, argue, and act.
The turning point came in her third year. The Female Journalist Foundation published her story on Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and its emotional toll on survivors. What startled her was not its publication but the reaction. Comments flooded in. Debates ignited, especially about the role of men in combating GBV.
“I realized media doesn’t just report,” she says. “It frames how society views a crisis.”
Her voice, once tentative, had entered a national conversation.
The Discipline Behind 4.46
At Makerere University, a First Class CGPA is not built on brilliance alone but on ritual.
Whitney’s ritual began with showing up, on time, every time. She treated lectures as appointments with her future self. She refused to confine her learning to the syllabus. While attending workshops at the Aga Khan Graduate School of Media and Communication and obtaining external certifications, she sought and was open to mentorship through the Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU).
She wanted theory anchored in practice. And then there was the commute.
From Nabbingo, a hill in Wakiso District, some 18.6 km to Kampala, where the Makerere Main campus is situated, and back, nearly 20 hours a week dissolved into Kampala traffic. Two-hour journeys before 8:00 a.m. lectures. Dust. Noise. Headaches. She learned to manage energy the way others manage time. Fatigue became a tutor in resilience.
“I had to be intentional with every remaining hour,” she says. “Excuses were not an option.”
Learning to Practice Communication
If classrooms taught her analysis, presentations taught her courage. Pitching projects, defending research, and standing before peers quick to critique forced her to think on her feet. She was no longer simply studying communication; she was practicing it.
In 2024, the AGMES Fellowship at the Aga Khan Graduate School of Media and Communication pushed her further. She received funding to produce a capstone project on the mental impact of gender-based violence on survivors. She identified sources, conducted interviews, handled trauma with care, and worked with professional editors.
The Communication, she learned, is logistics and ethics as much as eloquence.
The Future She Sees
Whitney is optimistic about Uganda’s media landscape. The digital shift, she believes, has democratized influence. Young communicators are no longer confined to legacy newsrooms or offices.
Yet she sees a gap in the absence of structured research on sustainable, ethical, profitable independent media ventures in Uganda. Her ambition is not only to practice communication, but to study it. To produce data-backed frameworks that help young Ugandans transition from graduates to media entrepreneurs.
She wants to make the impact scalable.
What Remains
As the only First-Class graduate in her cohort, she is careful not to mythologize herself. “Success isn’t brilliance alone,” she says. “It’s a daily commitment when nobody is watching.”
Even before graduation, Whitney had stepped into the industry through a mentorship internship at Capital One Group (COG EA Ltd), a strategic marketing communications agency operating across East Africa.
At Capital One Group, we spoke to Paul Mwirigi Muriungi, the Managing Director and Head of Strategy, who spoke of Najjuka as a progressive and intentional young professional who approaches her work with curiosity, maturity, and responsibility.
“Her attitude is exemplary. She is teachable, receptive to feedback, and eager to grow. While technical skills can be taught, character, work ethic, and mindset determine long-term success, qualities that Whitney consistently demonstrates. Given her academic excellence and professional application, we believe she has a bright future both at Capital One Group and within the wider communications industry. She represents the kind of talent the profession needs: thoughtful, adaptable, and committed to excellence.
“We look forward to seeing her next chapter unfold,” says Mwirigi.
Najjuka’s gaze extends beyond her own trajectory. She speaks of what the Department could become. Furnished and equipped with industry-standard equipment, newsroom simulations, and deeper investment in data journalism as prayers. Her excellence is not self-congratulatory, but it is forward-looking.
“The University should support the Department to procure industry-standard equipment. Access to high-quality cameras, sound booths, and updated editing software like Adobe Creative Suite is critical to our learning environment,” she says.
Adding that, “We need a newsroom simulation, a physical or digital space where students work under real-time deadlines to produce content for the public. That would prepare us for industry and even strengthen the University’s own media platforms.”
In an era defined by metrics, algorithms, and digital traceability, data journalism is no longer a niche skill but a sine qua non of credible reporting. “There should also be more focus on data journalism and search engine optimization. These are no longer optional skills. Students would benefit immensely from stronger training in these areas.”
Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, the Head, Department of Journalism and Communication, says the faculty are very proud that she is graduating with a First Class—the only one in this year’s cohort.
“This achievement reflects not only exceptional intellectual ability but also discipline, resilience, and sustained dedication to the highest standards over four years. Graduating with first-class honors is no small feat; it requires consistent outstanding performance.
“Her accomplishment sets a powerful example for continuing students and reaffirms our department’s commitment to nurturing excellence. We are confident she will make meaningful contributions to the communication profession and society at large,” says Dr. Nakiwala.
On graduation day, applause will crest and recede. The gowns will fold back into wardrobes. The transcripts will be filed away in cabinets. But something quieter will endure; a young woman from Nabbingo who once missed her Law mark, who spent 20 hours a week on the road, who discovered that storytelling is power, and who now walks into Freedom Square not by accident, but by intention.
Life, as she has come to understand it, lives on.
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