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Single Mothers Increasing: Mak Researchers Call for Friendly Policies on Parenting to Improve Children Welfare

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Researchers from Makerere University’s African Research Universities Alliance  Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) have found that single motherhood is a phenomenon that has been documented since the colonial era but, it is  increasing in Uganda. Research indicates that neoliberal and capitalist ideals, indigenous and western cultures have exacerbated the problem. Researchers are now calling on government to enact friendly policies on parenting to improve children welfare in Uganda. Makerere dons also want government to address issues of unpaid care economy. On the other hand, stakeholders have asked the university to introduce a graduate program on parenting to address capacity gaps in dealing with issues relating to parenting and children’s’ welfare.

The call was made during the policy dialogue organized by the ARUA CoE aimed at providing a platform for Early and Senior Careers researchers to share their research findings with policy makers and stakeholders and be able to obtain feedback. The workshop was also to create synergies between the different implementing institutions driving advocacy and policy change at national and local levels as well as identifying key policy and regulatory frameworks for improved parenting.

The Centre Director, Assoc. Prof. Sarah Ssali said, the centre  was established to deepen scholarship on identities in Africa, how they change and how the changes are impacting on life and development in Africa. As first phase Prof. Ssali said, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Rwanda got a capacity building grant financed by the United Kingdom Research and Innovations (UKRI) and focused on how parenting identity is changing.

“And in particular, we wanted to find out how is fatherhood and motherhood changing, why  is it changing and how these changes impact on children’s welfare. So the whole aspect of capacity building grant was to strengthen the capacity to research and engage policy makers in studying parenting, fatherhood and motherhood and  children’s wellbeing  on the African continent”, The Director said

“We have studied for three years, involved 21 early career researchers, given out 18 small grants, engaged 9 senior scholars and today, we are having a segment of disseminating the Uganda research findings to the policy makers.” Prof. Ssali added.

Centre Director Associate Prof. Sarah Ssali giving an overview of the project. Makerere University African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) Single Motherhood Policy Dialogue, Presentations of Research Findings by Senior and Early Career Researchers, 25th March 2024, Fairway Hotel, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Centre Director Associate Prof. Sarah Ssali giving an overview of the project.

The Senior and Early Career  researchers  presented  their research findings to obtain feedback from the policy makers and stakeholders in dialogue that was held at Fairway Hotel on 25th March 2024. The policy dialogue brought together participants from academia, government ministries, agencies, private sector and civil society organizations. These included, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Gender, the media, Uganda Police, Uganda Prisons, Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, Makerere and Kyambogo University, Young Child Uganda, Uganda National Association of the deaf and Mothers Heart Uganda and Kampala City Capital Authority among others.

The function was officially opened by the Principal College of Humanities and Social Sciences represented by the Deputy Assoc.  Prof. Eric Awich Ochen and closed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs represented by the Academic Registrar Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi. The Director, Directorate of Graduate Research and Training Prof. Edward Bbaale also graced the occasion.

Deputy Principal CHUSS, Assoc. Prof. Eric Awich Ochen officially opened the workshop.
Deputy Principal CHUSS, Assoc. Prof. Eric Awich Ochen officially opened the workshop.

The workshop was characterized by speeches, presentation of research findings and panel discussions. Prof. Sarah Ssali presented on the systematic review on the changing notion of motherhood and fatherhood in Uganda; Dr. Zaid Sekito focused on the historicisation of   the concept of motherhood in Buganda from 1840 – 2021;  Mr. Howard Tugume  analysed ways in which pigeon pea production shapes  parenthood among climate smart agricultural farmers  of Lira and Alebtong while Ms. Proscovia Nalwadda assessed the changing notion of motherhood and fatherhood amidst COVID 19 family-based  challenges in Mukono district.

“From all the four research plus what we did in foregrounding of the systematic literature review by senior researchers shows that the family structure has been constantly changing initially impacted by colonialism but later impacted on by other things today such as CoVID 19, neoliberalism, job losses, HIV and wars and all these are changing how traditionally we conceptualized  fathers and mothers”.

For example the role of providing is under threat, fathers move on, and abandon, and single mothers are increasing in numbers and they have to continue providing for these children and sometimes we see pressure manifesting as street children but also consequently creates a scenario where children who never saw fathers in homes choosing singlehood, children who never saw fathers in their homes not knowing what to do when they impregnate girls, and just keep on the run”, Centre Director and Senior Researcher who is also Dean School of Women and Gender Studies Sarah Ssali explained.

Ssali said, the meeting was to share with policy makers, activists, civil society organizations and the press what researchers have discovered and implore them to consider these changes and findings in the work they do so as to have more responsive policies that put family and children in the center and support parents to do their work .

 “The key point here is that family structures are changing. What sense do we make of it and how do we work and support what remains? The way forward is to have policies that support families because families will always continue to be with us but we need family friendly policies”. She stressed.

Center Director Assoc. Prof. Sarah Ssali, Academic Registrar Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza and Director DGRT Prof. Edward Bbaale interacting during a break session. Makerere University African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) Single Motherhood Policy Dialogue, Presentations of Research Findings by Senior and Early Career Researchers, 25th March 2024, Fairway Hotel, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Center Director Assoc. Prof. Sarah Ssali, Academic Registrar Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza and Director DGRT Prof. Edward Bbaale interacting during a break session.

Single mothers on the rise

In his presentation, Dr. Zaid Sekito said, the increase in single mothers is a phenomenon that has been documented for long since the colonial era. In traditional family settings in Africa, Sekito said, single parents were rare or unheard of  because families lived in a community and  extended families. A semblance of single parenting was seen with colonization and movements and that time, they were talking about de facto single parents because although the fathers were there, they were never present. They would move to plantation farms and mines and would be away for even three years and the mothers who looked at the families became de facto.

With time, especially in Uganda, Dr. Sekito narrated,  many wars of the 1970s took away most men and many women started looking after children as single mothers because fathers had died. Then, the phenomenon of single mothers  reproduced itself, not just created by war but also created by economic conditions when fathers have to travel far to work but also some when they realize that they have fathered a child and  they are not ready, they get on to the run.

“So single motherhood is increasing because, while fathers can walk away, mothers are stuck with the children. So economic changes, wars have been some of the primary drivers.

But also now, we are beginning to see a phenomenon where also mothers walk away. Children are being abandoned at the garbage sites and streets and sometimes mothers go to work and live children with house helps or grandparents. Sometimes both parents go away or die and children have to look after themselves”. Sekito observed.

Dr. Zaid Sekito presenting his study findings. Makerere University African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) Single Motherhood Policy Dialogue, Presentations of Research Findings by Senior and Early Career Researchers, 25th March 2024, Fairway Hotel, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Zaid Sekito presenting his study findings.

Sekito also reported that many of the Ugandan families that are not earning much are under stress and as they try to cope with long distance work, the children are left behind.

“It is important that concerned authorities, probation and welfare office, ministry of Gender, Uganda Government come in to support families so that they are held together. They can also explore other forms of families such as adoptive parenting, foster parenting but whether people foster or adopt, or whether children are in extended families, families need support. Most families are not rich and are coping with a lot of pressure as we transition from the rural peasant agrarian families into the modern capitalistic families”. Dr. Sekito recommended.

Dr. Sekito’s research  examined the meaning and implication behind the concept of motherhood from 1840 – 2021, when Buganda became into contact with external forces and also covering the precolonial space. He said, the concept motherhood, in the 1840s conceived mothers as being caretakers and everything in the social aspect and that time, even fathers had great responsibility ranging from moral upbringing of children and bread winners.

 Men, according to Dr. Sekito have changed and ceased being men, when they got exposed to western capitalist forces, when the labour market became monetized and that is when fathers became more inclined to bread winning activities and the rest of the roles relegated to the mothers. Children henceforth, became inclined to their mothers so much that the attachment had to continue and as the neoliberal era set in, most fathers focused on  the bread winning role but even some lost and abandoned the roles altogether.

“As we speak now, the number of single mothers is on the increase. According to the UBOS 2024 report, the number has increased from 20 -30%. This is for women having children but are single mothers. This statistics have a lot of implications on the role that culture plays”. Sekito said.

Cultures according to Sekito have been responsible for the increasing number of single motherhood as they promote habits such as overdrinking.

“A parent who goes out to drink a lot has nothing to do with valuing what parenting is, so that moral fabric is always lost. We are seeing cultures permitting polygamy without due consideration of the man’s ability to take care of the wives and children” Sekito stated.

A Commissioner from Uganda Police Force speaking during the dialogue. Makerere University African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) Single Motherhood Policy Dialogue, Presentations of Research Findings by Senior and Early Career Researchers, 25th March 2024, Fairway Hotel, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
A Commissioner from Uganda Police Force speaking during the dialogue.

The other issue according to Dr. Sekito is the lack of moral guidance and cognitive  behavioral direction where men abandon their families because their women have produced girls or boys only or a child with  disability. In this case, as a man moves out, a woman is stuck to single-handedly take care of children.

Consequently Sekito  said, women have lost trust in men and decided to concentrate on bringing up  their children and  are labelled all sorts of names. Dr. Sekito reported that Since 1980s there has been that aspect of marginalization and social exclusion of women by men and sometimes taking advantage of those with disabilities.

Because many men are lacking guidance which is embed within culture, a Muganda man will describe a woman who give birth to  a lame child as woman with bad omen which is rooted in culture and socially constructed. This is carried on by boys who marry and this culture does not defend the women using prevailing circumstances or biological science.

There are instances where men take advantage of the physically impaired girls and women, use them and abandon them. There are disabled women having four children but you can hardly point out their fathers, but, high class citizens are prime suspected fathers” said Sekito

Sekito also associated the rising number of single mothers to the western ideals. The don cited a common practice and space of having sex for pleasure, the old and rich men having women but not wives and single motherhood by choice.

A journalist contributes during the dialogue. Makerere University African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) Single Motherhood Policy Dialogue, Presentations of Research Findings by Senior and Early Career Researchers, 25th March 2024, Fairway Hotel, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
A journalist contributes during the dialogue.

The study also associated the rising number of single mothers to  the rising education, political, social and economic statuses.  A significant number of single mothers with low educational levels reported that their husbands had abandoned then in favor of highly educated partners to march their social, political and economic status. These women according to Dr. Sekito begun humbly with their men when they had nothing, but when they advanced, they dropped them on grounds that they are a shame in public.

Dr. Sekito proposed a form of cultural re-orientation to challenge both indigenous and western cultures to improve parenting; formulating policies that support cognitive behavioral therapies where people can be spoken to, and, revising some of the colonial legislation like one on alcohol consumption.

Stakeholders ask Makerere to introduce a Graduate program on parenting

During the panel discussion, stakeholders decried the capacity gaps in dealing with issues of parenting in the different public, private and civil society organization asking Makerere University to leverage on the partnership and research to  build human capacity to address the gaps.

Early Career Researchers responding to questions after their presentations. Makerere University African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) Single Motherhood Policy Dialogue, Presentations of Research Findings by Senior and Early Career Researchers, 25th March 2024, Fairway Hotel, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Early Career Researchers responding to questions after their presentations.

The Director, Directorate of Graduate Research and Training at Makerere University Prof. Edward Bbaale welcomed the move and the possibility to develop an interdisciplinary graduate program  in the School of Women and Gender Studies  to address the capacity gaps.

Prof. Bbaale expressed gratitude to ARUA center for the work well done saying, its rightly within the strategic direction and priorities of the university. As a Directorate, Bbaale said, it gives him  a lot of hope that the university has units  building the research led aspect .

Bbaale said, one way of building a research mantra is through building partnerships and collaborations as well as internationalization, and, ARUA Center comes in handy to advance the agenda adding that collaborations that have been built in this endeavor were heartwarming.

“I enjoyed the panel discussion seeing the academia, the researchers and the policy makers come in with different perspectives; and there has been a point of convergence on a number of issues and one of it, is to deepen research on un-answered questions with evidence” said Bbaale

Prof. Edward Bbaale making his remarks. Makerere University African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) Single Motherhood Policy Dialogue, Presentations of Research Findings by Senior and Early Career Researchers, 25th March 2024, Fairway Hotel, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Edward Bbaale making his remarks.

Addressing issues of unpaid care economy can have positive implications

On a personal note, Prof. Bbaale expressed the need to reignite the debate on unpaid care economy. Unpaid economy, he said, refers to the work done within the household, community that is not recognized or renumerated such as child care, elder care and domestic chores. This work is often performed by family members particularly women without financial compensation.

From  the  gender perspective  Bbaale  said, there is much more that academia  and policy makers and stakeholders can do to recognize and compensate  caring hands that make  what people  are.

“In terms of parenting, unpaid economy can significantly impact parents particularly mothers as they bear the primary care responsibility and domestic duties. This can lead to dire consequences such as limited career opportunities and increased stress affecting the overall wellbeing and ability to participate fully in the work force”, said Bbaale

From the economic stand point , the unpaid care economy according to the professor has both direct and indirect costs on the Gross National Product. Directly, he said, it contributes to the economy by enabling other members to participate in the paid work or other productive work.

 But indirectly, Bbaale said, the lack of recognition and support for unpaid care work leads to economic loss by perpetrating economic inequalities, limiting women participation in the labor force and constraining their overall productivity.

Basing on what had taken place in the discourse, Bbaale expressed optimism  of a bright future in coming up with an interdisciplinary  program and research that can address many of the issues raised.

A representative from NUDIPU contributing to the discussion through sign language interpreters. Makerere University African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) Single Motherhood Policy Dialogue, Presentations of Research Findings by Senior and Early Career Researchers, 25th March 2024, Fairway Hotel, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
A representative from NUDIPU contributing to the discussion through sign language interpreters.

ARUA taking the university to the community- Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi

While closing the workshop, the Academic Registrar Makerere University Prof. Makadasi Buyinza commended the centre leadership and team for building strategic partnerships and taking the university to the communities.

“I feel too good to see that Makerere has come of age, we had the police officers, listened to submissions in a low tone to influence policy. I listened to the Principal Agricultural Officer, and it means that this has been a historic event at least in our lifetime as a university”, Said Buyinza.

He appreciated Prof Sarah Ssali for the initiative to write the grant winning proposal that brought resources helping to engage and meet partners in the business and community service.

He commended the Centre for strengthening capacity on active research and policy engagement in notions of identity saying, the stakeholders have been able to see how the notion and narrative of fatherhood and motherhood is changing and the need to strategize how to improve children’s’ wellbeing through research.

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi making his closing remarks.
Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi making his closing remarks.

Buyinza implored the center to deepen the partnership and build the forum of exchange so that periodically, they come together for updates on emerging issues on parenting. He said, a forum like this, helps coordinate and get feedback on a number of policies.

“There was a discussion about curricular. Time is now. Makerere is looking for innovative ways of transforming society. If we can do that through curricular please present to us, we shall support you in Senate”, Buyinza pledged to support implementation of a new program in parenting.

On behalf of the university, Prof. Byinza expressed commitment to conduct research and have the evidence-based policy.

Participants speak out

A representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Eunice Alloo  expressed the need to ensure that interventions go beyond gender issues to address issues of parenting, integrate issues of motherhood and fatherhood to improve the welfare of children.

“In my department and division of home economics that deals with family life, we need to go further and introduce issues of motherhood and fatherhood in our home economics training and welfare” Alloo said.

Ms. Zaina Nakubulwa from KCCA making her submission during the policy dialogue.
Ms. Zaina Nakubulwa from KCCA making her submission during the policy dialogue.

Besides handling people with disabilities, Ester Adeke from the Child and Family Protection Unit in the Uganda Police Force appreciated researchers for unearthing issues on parenting saying, it creates a basis and work for Uganda police.

“The insight given  brings forth the need for us to do more of the proactive positive parenting especially for mothers and fathers to provide safer solutions to manage the hate or love situations; to build self esteem in the mothers and fathers; and transfer to the child, then responsible parenting and accountability for each as a child and parent. Let us appreciate co-parenting not existing in marriage but core parenting is your mandate and role even when the marriage has failed to work”, Adeke said      

The Principal Social Development Officer Ministry of Gender and Social Development Lucy Otto said, besides  advocating  for evidence policy making, there is need to work in partnership to agree on the research agenda.

“Let three core institutions namely Africhild, Makerere University Child development center and ARUA sit together and agree on the research agenda to fill identified gaps, equip parents with necessary information and support to step up parenting and reduce gender based violence”. Said Otto.

UMSC representative (Left) and Lucy Otto (Right) from the Ministry of Gender took part in the panel discussions. Makerere University African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa (ARUA CoE) Single Motherhood Policy Dialogue, Presentations of Research Findings by Senior and Early Career Researchers, 25th March 2024, Fairway Hotel, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
UMSC representative (Left) and Lucy Otto (Right) from the Ministry of Gender took part in the panel discussions.

Appreciating the role of religious leaders in building families through marriage ceremonies and counselling, the representative from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council asked Makerere to continue inviting religious leader in such dialogues.

She expressed the need for researchers and policy makers to streamline data from of all religious sects. She said, Islam teaching preaches care of children but there is need for mindset change program on polygamy, regulate and  set the minimum standards for men to marry many wives.

“… the Muslim community may you please demand the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council to regulate polygamy because in my office these are common cases. Cases of child neglect and child abuse come due to polygamy. You can suggest that the minimum standard of a man  getting another wife,  is the status of the existing wife. Is she having the basics such as shelter, education and food so that people do not do it un-quranic way because it is an attack on the institution. It is alarming having irresponsible fathers just marrying and producing children for the community to suffer…” she implored the Moslem community.

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Jane Anyango

Engineering, Art & Tech

Advert: Application for Additional Undergraduate Programmes 2025/26

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The Academic Registrar, Makerere University invites applications from Ugandan, East African, and international applicants for the undergraduate programmes under the private sponsorship scheme for the 2025/2026 Academic Year.

The following Programmes have been added:

  • Bachelor of Science in Computer and Communications Engineering (CCE)
  • Bachelor of Social Sciences (Day and Evening)

Other relevant information can be obtained from UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS OFFICE, LEVEL 3, SENATE BUILDING OR CAN BE found on the University Website https://www.mak.ac.ug.

How to submit your application                                            

  1. Applicants should access the Institution’s Admissions URL https://apply.mak.ac.ug/
  2. Sign up by clicking on the REGISTER NOW. Use your full name, e-mail and Mobile No.  Please note that your name must be similar to the one on your supporting academic documents for your application to be considered valid.
  3. A password will be sent to you on your mobile phone and email.                                      
  4. The system will prompt you to change the password to the one you can easily remember.
  5. To fill an application form, click on the APPLY NOW button displayed on the appropriate running scheme.                                              
  6. Obtain a payment reference number by clicking on “Pay for Form” Button
  7. Make a payment at any of the banks used by Uganda Revenue Authority                                            

MOBILE MONEY PAYMENT STEPS:                                                 

  1. Dial *272*6# on either MTN or Airtel                                                             
  2. Select option 3-Admission                                                     
  3. Select option 3-Pay Fees
  4. Enter reference number obtained from Application portal 
  5. Details of Application form will be confirmed                                                              
  6. Enter PIN to confirm payment                                                            

The closing date for receiving applications to undergraduate programmes shall be Tuesday 20th May 2025.                                                           

WARNING:                                                             

  1. Applicants are strongly warned against presenting forged or other people’s academic documents to support their applications for admission.  The consequences, if discovered, are very grave indeed.
  2. Do not buy any other documents not originating from the Academic Registrar’s Office.  Those who buy them do so at their own risk. 
  3. The Academic Registrar has not appointed any agent to act on his behalf to solicit for additional funds other than the application fee stated above.    
  4. Applicants are advised to use the right programme names and codes. the university will not be responsible for any wrong information entered in the system by applicants.                                               

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi
ACADEMIC REGISTRAR

Mak Editor

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Humanities & Social Sciences

Makerere Screens Tuko Pamoja, Scholars Call for Creative Arts to Be Recognized as Research Output

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The MP, Dr. Cindy Magara, Prof. Helen N. Nkabala, Dr. Eve Nabukya and Dr. Levis Mugumya flash Tuko Pamoja symbol in a group photo. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Kampala, Uganda – May 13, 2025
Makerere University on Tuesday screened Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, as part of a wider push by humanities scholars to have creative works recognized as valid academic research output.

The screening, held at the University Main Hall, drew senior university officials, faculty, students, and representatives from national education bodies. The event highlighted growing calls to integrate creative arts into the university’s research and promotion frameworks.

Speaking on behalf of the Dean of the School of Languages, Literature and Communication, Dr. Levis Mugumya emphasized that creative works such as documentaries should be formally considered during academic staff promotions.

Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza watching the film. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza watching the film.

“Creative art should be considered as input that contributes to staff promotion,” Mugumya said. “We need to rethink what counts as academic output.”

Tuko Pamoja—Swahili for We Are One—is a docuseries exploring Uganda’s ethnic diversity and shared historical experiences prior to colonial nation-state formation. Dr. Magara, a literature scholar and filmmaker, was praised for creating a culturally significant work that transcends traditional academic formats.

“This is a great tool for promoting patriotism. It contributes to national development and deepens our understanding of ethnicity and nationhood in Uganda,” Mugumya added.

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi representing the Vice Chancellor. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi representing the Vice Chancellor.

The event was officiated by Professor Mukadasi Buyinza, who represented Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe. In his speech, Buyinza reiterated Makerere’s commitment to supporting research in the creative arts.

“We cannot promote research only in the STEM disciplines. Resilient communities need a sense of humanity—and creative arts are central to that,” said Buyinza. “Film-making and research are expensive, and we must find partners to support such initiatives.”

He also called for greater collaboration among faculty and students to promote and disseminate creative research outputs like Tuko Pamoja.

Prof. Buyinza interacts with a Member of Parliament after the film. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Buyinza interacts with a Member of Parliament after the film.

Associate Professor Helen Nkabala, Principal of CHUSS, stressed the importance of storytelling in shaping national consciousness and academic relevance.

“At the College of Humanities, we are telling you that we need to unite to tell our story if we are to make meaning to our communities,” she said. “This film shows how humanities research can be innovative, relevant, and impactful.”

Dr. Magara, a former student in the department, was commended by senior colleagues for bridging academic and artistic expression. The event follows a recent management dialogue on the role of humanities in nation-building.

Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala being ushered in by Dr. Cindy Magara. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala being ushered in by Dr. Cindy Magara.

“We need events like this to remind us who we are,” Buyinza concluded. “Unity is not given—it is built through conscious effort and shared history.”

Dr. Cindy Magara Traces Journey from Classroom to Cinema with Launch of Tuko Pamoja Docuseries

Dr. Cindy Evelyn Magara, a literature scholar and pioneering filmmaker recounted her two-decade journey into film-making at Makerere University during the screening of her latest documentary project, Tuko Pamoja. The event was part of a broader discussion on the role of creative arts in academia.

Dr. Magara shared her evolution from a student in Uganda’s first film studies class in 2005 to becoming one of the country’s most recognized female filmmakers. She credited her start to Professor Sister Dominic Dipio, who introduced artesian cinema at Makerere University.

Dr. Cindy Magara making her remarks. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Cindy Magara making her remarks.

“If it wasn’t for Sister Dipio, possibly I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be a filmmaker,” Magara said. “From the time I made my first film, I knew that was going to be my career path.”

After graduating in 2006, Magara founded Nyati Motion Pictures, a production company named after her clan totem—Mbogo (buffalo). Her first film, Fate, became a historic milestone as the first Ugandan film screened at Cineplex Cinemas and aired on Africa Magic.

She went on to direct Fair Play, an EU-funded project, and Windows of Hope, before pausing her film career to pursue advanced academic studies. “I had to juggle marriage, motherhood, and a master’s degree,” she explained. With mentorship from Professors Susan Kiguli and Dipio, she transitioned into academia and later earned a PhD.

Dr. Cindy Magara flanked by Head of Department of Literature, Dr. Eve Nabulya addressing the audience. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Cindy Magara flanked by Head of Department of Literature, Dr. Eve Nabulya addressing the audience.

After completing her studies, Magara returned to filmmaking with Tuko Pamoja (Swahili for We Are One), a 13-part documentary series exploring Uganda’s pre-colonial ethnic unity and shared cultural heritage. The project blends various documentary techniques—observation, exposition, interaction, and reflection.

“The documentary seeks to foster cohesion by examining our interconnected past,” she said. “If we were relating together, then we were one.”

Magara revealed that the idea for the series was inspired by the political intrigue of Game of Thrones, likening Uganda’s 19th-century power dynamics—particularly involving historical figures like Kabalega and Mwanga—to an epic African saga.

Dr. Cindy Magara with her students in a group photo after the function. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Cindy Magara with her students in a group photo after the function.

Originally intended as a single short film to attract funding for a full-length feature, the project evolved into a full series following extensive community research. Magara interviewed historians, cultural leaders, and opinion makers across Uganda. “This became my classroom,” she noted. “I learned so much—I think the Department of History should give me an honorary PhD.”

Tuko Pamoja was premiered in the very communities where the research was conducted, receiving support from local media houses and sponsors. Magara credited UBC, NBS, and Vision Group for providing extensive free media coverage. “UBC told me, ‘We are sorry you’re doing what we should have done long ago,’” she recalled.

The series, currently accessible via nyatimotionpictures.com and the upcoming Nyatiflix app, has also generated academic interest, prompting calls to recognize such creative works as legitimate research outputs.

Film promoters and students join Dr. Cindy Magara, Prof. Helen Nkabala and Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi in a group photo after the function. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Film promoters and students join Dr. Cindy Magara, Prof. Helen Nkabala and Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi in a group photo after the function.

“We must think of film not only as an art but as research and business,” Magara emphasized. “Film is the evening class. If we fail to tell our stories, someone else will do it for us.”

Magara expressed gratitude to her mentors, students, sponsors, and family—including her husband, who helped finance the production. Plans are underway for wider distribution on local television stations and digital platforms.

As the event concluded, Magara left a message for aspiring creatives: “Film is powerful. It’s how we entertain, educate, and decolonize the screen.”

A section of participants attending the screening. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
A section of participants attending the screening.

“Lighting the Screen: A Story of Art, Identity, and Nation”

“We need to cultivate an audience. We need to teach our people that consuming art is not luxury—it is culture. It is growth.” Prof. Sr. Dipio Dominica

It was a warm afternoon, and the hall was alive with quiet anticipation. At the front sat three figures who had long walked the corridors of Uganda’s most prestigious institution—each one a torchbearer in the creative arts. Professor Abasi Kiyimba, long known for his eloquence and firm grasp of literature, stood to open the conversation. His voice, familiar and thoughtful, welcomed the audience into a dialogue not just about film, but about the soul of a nation.

“In the Department of Literature,” he began, “we’ve always believed in crossing boundaries. We have mothered other departments—film, drama, music. And now, here we are, watching Uganda retell herself through the lens of the camera.”

Prof. Abasi Kiyimba moderated the panel discussions. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Abasi Kiyimba moderated the panel discussions.

He turned to Professor Dominica Dipio, a former student of his who had become a pioneer in Ugandan film. With a soft smile, he asked, “At what point did you realize that film had to be added to the menu of your literary journey?”

Professor Dipio’s response was part memory, part reflection. She traced her path back to the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where she had gone to study literature. But to her surprise, there was no African literature course. Instead, she was nudged by wise Jesuit professors toward film—a medium they described as an art form closely tied to literature.

“It made sense,” she said. “Storytelling is at the heart of both. Writing with a camera—this is what film allows us to do. It was as though I had been prepared for this all along.”

When she returned to Uganda, she found a generation of students hungry for a new kind of expression. They weren’t waiting to be told what to do. They were already calling themselves filmmakers.

“I had taught them just the basics,” she chuckled, “and they were already making films and introducing themselves as directors. I thought, ‘Please, let’s be humble.’ But inside, I was proud. They had vision.”

Prof. Dipio Dominica contributing to the discussion. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Dipio Dominica contributing to the discussion.

From there, Makerere’s halls began to echo not only with poetry and novels but with the buzz of editing software, the click of cameras, and scripts written in digital ink. Film festivals like Maisha, Amakula, and Zanzibar became essential spaces of collaboration. The National Theatre turned into a second campus.

And sitting beside Dipio was another creative soul with his own journey—Dr. Milton Wabyona, a man who had nearly disappeared from the education system.

“I’m a school dropout,” he confessed quietly. “Few people know that. I was studying physics, economics, and math. But I couldn’t pay fees.”

It was music—specifically a dance troupe—that pulled him back. A woman named Dr. Jessica Kawa recognized his talent and gave him a chance.

“I told her, ‘I don’t care what I study. I just want to go back to school.’ That’s how I entered the creative arts.”

Prof. Abasi Kiyimba, Prof. Dipio Dominica and Dr. Milton Wabyona during the discussion. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Abasi Kiyimba, Prof. Dipio Dominica and Dr. Milton Wabyona during the discussion.

Music, he argued, is more than melody. It teaches collaboration, humanity, and interdependence.

“No matter how gifted I am, I can’t sing harmony alone,” he said. “I need others.”

He quoted Plato, reminding the room that the arts were once central to shaping good citizens and preserving culture. The arts, he said, are not just subjects—they are the soul of education.

As the discussion deepened, Prof. Kiyimba asked a profound question: What is this film we just watched? Is it literature? History? Art?

Professor Dipio leaned back and explained that film, as the “seventh art,” gathers all other forms—literature, painting, music, theatre, sculpture—and weaves them into one cohesive experience. She invoked Aristotle to explain how literature and history are both rooted in reality, but art reshapes that reality, making us see it anew.

“Film is a representation,” she said. “It tells history not by simply stating facts, but by shaping them, giving them voice and character.”

Dr. Milton Wabyona speaking during the panel discussion. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Milton Wabyona speaking during the panel discussion.

Characters like Queen, Mwanga, Kabelega, and others in the film weren’t just historical names—they had become people with motivations, fears, and contradictions. That was the power of art.

Then Dr. Wabyona took the floor once more.

“Music speaks in ways plain words never can,” he said. “You don’t need to understand Lingala to dance to Congolese music. That’s how powerful rhythm and pitch are.”

But behind the excitement lay a persistent concern—money. Could Ugandan cinema be self-sustaining?

Dipio paused before answering. She didn’t sugarcoat it.

“We are not yet consuming enough art,” she said. “We don’t have the culture of going to the cinema like in Burkina Faso, where the whole country stops for the FESPACO film festival.”

Comedy, she admitted, was one area where Ugandans paid. But serious artistic films struggled.

“We need to cultivate an audience. We need to teach our people that consuming art is not luxury—it is culture. It is growth.”

Wabyona agreed. He shared how many Ugandan productions, like Ndere Troupe, offer free shows, yet the audiences are overwhelmingly foreign.

“When your own people don’t show up,” he said, “you begin to understand the kind of crisis we’re in.”

The audience watching the film. Department of Literature, School of Languages, Literature and Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) screening of Tuko Pamoja, a documentary by Dr. Cindy Magara, Nyati Motion Pictures, 13th May 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kamapala Uganda, East Africa.
The audience watching the film.

Then, quietly, the conversation turned to the political dangers of art.

“Have you ever censored yourself?” Kiyimba asked Dipio.

She smiled.

“So far, my films have been harmless. But make no mistake—art is political. Even saying it’s not political is a political act.”

She quoted a colleague: “Art disturbs.” And that’s what makes it powerful—and dangerous.

“Where the state seeks to unify, art challenges. It asks hard questions. It stirs the water.”

And yet, art also carries hope.

As the discussion ended, the audience was left with a simple but profound idea: A society can be judged by the art it consumes. In that sense, the future of Uganda’s creative arts isn’t just about budgets, scripts, or shows—it’s about whether its people choose to see themselves on the screen, in the music, in the dance, in the story.

And that choice, perhaps, is the most powerful act of all.

Jane Anyango is the Principal Communication Officer, CHUSS

Jane Anyango

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Humanities & Social Sciences

Korean Language Classes

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Students stroll past the Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility-CTF (Left) and School of Social Sciences (Right) on the Makerere University Main Campus. Staircase, Walkway, Male, Female, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Centre for Language and Communication Services (CLCS), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) Makerere University in collaboration with the Korea International
Cooperation Agency (KOICA) invite applications for Korean Language Classes for students and members of the public.

Courses by Level

  • Beginner
  • Elementary
  • Intermediate
  • Online
  • TOPIK

Instructor: Wongo Yoon wongoyoon@gmail.com

Registration is open, you can register to join the course any time of the year.

Registration:

To register, call the Centre for Language and Communication Services (CLCS): +256 756 12 8046 / +256 775 424704

For more information Whatsapp: +256 790 505658 (Yoon) / +256 757 710511 (Mariam)

See downloads for Class Timetable

The Korean Corner is located on the 2nd floor of the Main Library at Makerere University.

Mak Editor

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