The Chief Guest-Prof. Josephine Ahikire (2nd R) with Right to Left: Dr. Bob Wekesa, Prof. Gilbert Khadiagala and Dr. Edward Silvestre Kaweesi post for a group photo at the Forum on 19th January 2024 in the Council Room, Makerere University.
On Friday 19th January 2024, Makerere University in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand’s African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS) held a Forum based on the theme “Africa in the Global South: Advancing African Agency, Amplifying African Voices.” Dubbed the only academic event on the sidelines of the 19th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Heads of State and Government, and the Third South Summit organized under the framework of Group 77 (G77) and China, the event was among other objectives aimed at giving a platform for youth to discuss the notion of African Agency.
Providing an overview and conceptual understanding of the forum, Prof. Gilbert Khadiagala, Director of ACSUS noted that African Agency is an important notion particularly in the gradual shift from a bipolar to a promising multipolar world. “We are celebrating the end of what we describe as American hegemony, and now moving into a phase where there is a semblance of multiplicity of powers emerging globally.”
Describing agency as “the ability of Africans to advance their voice globally”, Prof. Khadiagala noted that this agency had since the decolonization period of the 1960s been subject to the dilemma of either advancing as 50-plus sovereign African States or as a collective. He nevertheless opined that “there is no real effective African Agency if we are not talking about Agency as a collective enterprise.”
Prof. Gilbert Khadiagala (Left) and Prof. Josephine Ahikire (Right) interact during the Forum.
Prof. Khadiagala therefore paid tribute to the first NAM Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia in April 1955 for inviting Africa to the discussion table even before several States had gained independence. He equally acknowledged the G77 Meeting of 1979 held in Arusha, Tanzania as having given birth to “the new international economic order”, which became a rallying point for the promotion of global economic reforms. This new international economic order, he added, was unfortunately dealt a harsh blow in 1982, when the powers in Washington and England insisted that they would only negotiate with individual Nation States.
The abyss that NAM and the G77 went into after 1982 notwithstanding, Prof. Khadiagala noted that the hosting of the NAM plus G77 and China Summits in Kampala and the subsequent assuming of the Chairmanship by Uganda was worth celebrating. He regarded this shift as an opportunity for Africa to seize the moment, begin to set the agenda and be in the driver’s seat of the Non-Aligned Movement, and not just be guests at the table where key decisions are made as has hitherto been the case.
Dr. Edward Silvestre Kaweesi from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration who moderated the forum thanked Prof. Khadiagala and ASUS for partnering with Makerere to organize the event, noting that it is in tandem with a project focused on the Historicizing and Rethinking Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences at Makerere University since 1922. The publication from the project, he added, deeply interrogates the topic of African Agency.
Dr. Edward Silvestre Kaweesi moderates the Forum.
He further noted that whereas no NAM Youth Summit had been organized at the Kampala Edition, the outcome of the Forum, a comprehensive report, will highlight the voices of youth, “Interrogating the question of the African Agency as it is playing out at the moment in the NAM and G77.”
In addition to the report, Dr. Kaweesi shared that an edited volume of the book based on the Forum theme will be published within the year. The book will be a publication of Makerere University and the University of the Witwatersrand.
The Deputy Director ACSUS, Dr. Bob Wekesa noted that the longstanding collaboration between Makerere and Wits affords both institutions the opportunity to advance partnerships in terms of joint research, exchange of faculty and students, and joint fieldwork. Turning to the timing of the Forum, he added that the “NAM and G77 Summits provide an opportune moment for us to demonstrate in real terms that we are actually very pragmatic and working towards tangible areas of partnership.”
Dr. Bob Wekesa makes his remarks.
The Chief Guest at the Forum and Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) Prof. Josephine Ahikire thanked the key parties in the collaboration between Makerere and Wits for convening the event and expressed CHUSS’ commitment to support similar initiatives.
“We are really committed to advancing what we have called the African Voice and African Intellectualism. This is why when we talk about NAM, especially in the fact that it is described in the sense of what it is not, ‘Non-Aligned’, I think ‘What are we aligned to?’ should be the most important question” remarked the Principal.
Prof. Ahikire further emphasised the need for we the Africans to go beyond the buzzword of decolonization and mean business by revalidating African epistemologies, African indigenous knowledge systems and African languages. She therefore called for the creation of many more spaces such as the day’s Forum to articulate the African visions and what is referred to by the notion of global south.
The Chief Guest and Principal CHUSS, Prof. Josephine Ahikire.
“Somebody asked ‘Who is an African?’ that question is as political as you can imagine but definitely, the answer and the solution is in the definition of what you mean by African, whether on the continent or in the diaspora, the voice around critiquing global marginalization, and sometimes it is self-marginalization especially when we negate everything that is African” said. Prof. Ahikire.
The Principal added that beyond the toll on human life posed by COVID-19, the pandemic demonstrated that African indigenous knowledge systems offered precious lessons that we ought to take forward. “There was a reminder to return to humanity, to Ubuntu, and the things that began to matter were not actually things (property) but new ways of living humanity. Those are the kinds of lessons that we could take to defining and envisioning our futures and not always lamenting.”
Panelists from Left to Right: Dr. Bob Wekesa, Advocate Francis Gimara, Dr. David Ngendo-Tshimba, Mr. Benon Hebert Oluka and Dr. Charles Batte.
Following the official opening ceremony, the Principal was gifted a copy of the book “Africa’s policy towards the US: The Biden Era” edited by Bob Wekesa. The event also served as an opportunity to launch the book “China’s Footprint in East Africa: Pessimism versus Optimism” written by Bob Wekesa.
The Forum was also enriched panel discussions based on the themes; African agency towards global South powers and The intersection of Agenda 2063, EAC policies, and the global South. The combined panel discussion from the themes was moderated by Dr. Gardner Rwakiseta Herbert from Julius Nyerere Leadership Center (JNLC) and featured as panelists; Dr. Charles Bate from Tree Adoption Uganda, and Mr. Benon Hebert Oluka from the Global Investigative Journalism Network of the African Union Media Fellowship. Additional panelists included Advocate Francis Gimara, Dr. David Ngendo-Tshimba from Uganda Martyrs University, and Dr. Bob Wekesa.
Some of the participants pose for a group photo. Left is Prof. Julius Kiiza one of the presenters of the day, while one of the panelists Dr. William Tayeebwa is Second Left. Some of the Forum Moderators are Dr. Eunice Akullo (Rear: 7th Left) and Dr. Gerald Walulya (Rear: 8th Right). Seated Right is one of the Forum Coordinators Ms. Ritah Namisango.
A second panel discussion tackled the theme Amplifying African voices: media and summit diplomacy and was moderated by Dr. Gerald Walulya from Department of Journalism and Communication, Makerere University and featured Dr. William Tayeebwa from the same Department. Dr. Eunice Akullo from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration then moderated a presentation by Prof. Julius Kiiza of the same Department on the theme Gender and youth perspectives on African agency in the global South.
The Forum was coordinated by Dr. Edward Silvestre Kaweesi, Mr. Solomon Winyi, and the Principal Public Relations Officer Ms. Ritah Namisango.
Click the video below to watch full proceedings of the Forum
Mak & Wits (ACSUS) Africa in The Global South Forum – Sidelines of 19th NAM & 3rd South G77+China Summits
The results for the 2025/2026 special entry examination for the Diploma in Performing Arts held on Saturday 17th May, 2025. Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the Examination and have been recommended to the university’s Admissions Committee for consideration.
Makerere University, June 20, 2025 — The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) is holding its 2025 Graduate Symposium from June 19 – 21, 2025, bringing together scholars, mentors, and graduate students in a spirited exchange of ideas, research, and academic collaboration.
The symposium, hosted at Makerere University, has provided a dynamic platform for PhD students to present their ongoing research, while also strengthening ties with sister universities and celebrating the achievements of the CHUSS Graduate School in nurturing the next generation of scholars.
Dr. Edgar Fred Nabutanyi delivers the keynoted address.
In his keynote address, Dr. Edgar Fred Nabutanyi welcomed participants and acknowledged the contributions of speakers from the previous day’s sessions, including Prof. Eric Awich Ochen (Deputy Principal, CHUSS), Dr. Peter Wekesa, and Dr. Zaid Sekito, among others. He emphasized that the symposium was not just a showcase of academic work, but a strategic platform to build partnerships and attract research funding.
“Generations must prepare for the next generation,” Dr. Nabutanyi noted, reflecting on life after PhD and the evolving role of Makerere University as a research-intensive institution. He praised department heads for their role in ensuring timely completion of graduate programmes and reiterated the college’s commitment to research excellence.
Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi delivers the Vice Chancellor’s remarks.
The event was officially opened by Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. In his remarks, Prof. Buyinza highlighted the importance of research that is impactful and relevant to society.
“Research is unimportant unless it is relevant,” he stated. “If one conducts research that doesn’t benefit society, it becomes a waste of resources.” He urged graduate students to approach their academic work with purpose, noting that Makerere is not a “PhD factory” but a hub for innovation, with over 300 active PhD students registered.
Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala addresses the symposium.
Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala, Principal of CHUSS, underscored the College’s intentional approach to graduate success. “You are in the mind of an excellent mind,” she said, encouraging students to continue striving for excellence and leadership in their respective fields. The 2025 CHUSS Graduate Symposium served as both a celebration of academic progress and a call to action for scholars to engage in meaningful research that addresses the needs of communities and contributes to national and global development.