Humanities & Social Sciences
Makerere University’s KISH Initiative Makes Strides in Combating Sexual Harassment
Makerere University has recorded significant progress in addressing sexual harassment through its Kicking Sexual Harassment Out of Higher Education Institutions (KISH) project. Findings from the project’s endline dissemination, held on December 5, 2024, revealed the positive impact of interventions designed to create a safer academic environment.
Launched in 2020, the KISH project was a collaboration between the School of Women and Gender Studies, the School of Psychology, and the School of Computing and Informatics Technology at Makerere University. Funded by Uganda’s Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF), the project adopted a whole-university approach to tackle sexual harassment holistically by involving all stakeholders and implementing diverse interventions tailored to different groups.
The project introduced several key components, including KISH Student Clubs for female students, an online sexual harassment course for students and staff, the Men’s Hub targeting male participants, and an innovative online reporting and response system. The initiative aimed to empower students and staff with life skills, increase awareness of sexual harassment policies, and establish accessible channels for reporting and addressing harassment.
During the online dissemination event Prof. Grace Bantebya Kyomuhendo, the project’s Principal Investigator (PI), highlighted the need for a systemic approach to tackle sexual harassment. “This issue cannot be resolved through isolated interventions. We designed KISH to address every aspect of the university system, engage all stakeholders, and foster collective responsibility,” she said. Prof. Bantebya emphasized the project’s focus on including men as part of the solution, stating, “Men are often labeled as perpetrators, but they need to be engaged as allies and advocates for change.”
Findings from the project’s baseline survey showed that over 75% of staff and 80% of students acknowledged that sexual harassment was common at Makerere University. Female students were the most frequent victims, while male students and staff were identified as the primary perpetrators. However, a culture of silence prevailed, with over 80% of female staff and 91% of female students who experienced harassment failing to report their cases. Factors such as fear of retaliation, normalization of harassment, and lack of trust in existing reporting mechanisms were identified as barriers.
The endline survey demonstrated a shift in attitudes and practices. Knowledge about sexual harassment and confidence in responding to incidents had increased among students and staff. The online reporting system was lauded for its ease of use, anonymity, and smartphone accessibility, providing a confidential platform for victims and whistleblowers. The KISH Men’s Hub emerged as a pivotal initiative, engaging male participants in dialogue about masculinity, gender equality, and their role in eliminating harassment.
Prof. Florence Muhanguzi, Project Co-PI, emphasized the transformative impact of these interventions. “The KISH initiative has empowered the university community by equipping them with tools to identify and address sexual harassment,” she said. While acknowledging the progress made, Prof. Muhanguzi stressed the need for sustained efforts to raise awareness and integrate KISH activities into broader university programs.
Representing the Chairperson Grants Management Committee, Ms. Phoebe Lutaaya Kamya commended the project for its high impact. “This initiative stands out as a life-changing innovation, and we hope it will extend beyond Makerere to other higher education institutions in Uganda,” she said.
The workshop was moderated by Prof. Julius Kikooma who is also Project Co-PI and featured presentations from other Co-PIs and panel discussions. Key recommendations from the dissemination meeting included incorporating sexual harassment training into orientation programs for new students, expanding awareness campaigns to reach all university units, and mainstreaming KISH initiatives into existing safeguarding policies. The project team also proposed seeking additional funding to enhance and sustain the initiative.
As the project concludes, it leaves a legacy of actionable strategies, robust systems, and an empowered community committed to fostering a safe and inclusive academic environment. Prof. Bantebya underscored the broader vision, stating, “The fight against sexual harassment requires a collective effort. Together, we can create a culture of respect, dignity, and zero tolerance for harassment in higher education.”
By Okeya John and Primrose Nabankema
The intensive one-month course, running for the first time from June 5 to July 24, 2025, is jointly offered by Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH)’s Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences (CHBS) and the Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) at the School of Languages, Literature, and Communication (SLLC), co-designed in 2024 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation through Amref Health Africa.
It seeks to equip healthcare providers at the community level, public health and environmental health practitioners, communication specialists, health educators, community development officers, social scientists, and policy makers, among others, with strategic communication skills to improve public health messaging, strengthen community engagement, and support evidence-based interventions, ultimately empowering participants to effectively engage communities and improve population health outcomes across Uganda and the region.
Launching the course, the heads of the Department of Journalism and Communication and the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences noted that participants who complete the short course will gain practical tools to influence behaviour change, build trust, and deliver timely, accurate, and relevant health information to the communities they serve. The first cohort attracted more than 60 applicants, with 36 reporting for the opening in-person session on June 5, 2025, at MakSPH in Mulago. Between now and July, participants will undergo a hands-on, multidisciplinary learning experience within the Certificate in Health Communication and Community Engagement program, which combines theory and practice.
Among the participants in the first cohort of the certificate course, designed as a pilot for the anticipated Master of Health Promotion and Communication to be jointly offered by the two departments at Makerere University, is Ms. Maureen Kisaakye, a medical laboratory technologist specialising in microbiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and currently pursuing a Master’s in Immunology and Clinical Microbiology at Makerere. She is driven by a passion to help reverse the rising tide of AMR, a growing global health threat where drugs that once worked are no longer effective. Kisaakye is particularly concerned about common infections, like urinary tract infections, becoming increasingly resistant and harder to treat.
“I enrolled in this course because I’m an advocate against antimicrobial resistance, and it came at a time when I needed to deepen my knowledge on how to implement our projects more effectively and engage with communities. The experience has broadened my understanding of AMR and its impact on society, and strengthened my passion for community-driven health initiatives and advocacy,” Kisaakye said, explaining why she enrolled for the short course.
Kisaakye’s work in antimicrobial resistance extends beyond the lab. Having earned her degree in medical laboratory science from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, she founded Impala Tech Research in 2024 to drive impact and save lives. She has led grassroots AMR campaigns that integrate antimicrobial stewardship with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education in underserved urban communities, including the informal settlements in Kampala. She also has since designed peer-led initiatives that empower university students as AMR Champions, building a network of informed youth advocates. Kisaakye believes the health communication course will sharpen her ability to design and deliver impactful, community-centred interventions in response to the growing threat of drug resistance.
“The department collaborates with many partners within and beyond the University, including the School of Public Health, where we are working to develop the subfield of health communication and promotion. Our goal is to train specialists in this area and build a community of practice, something we have each been doing in our own spaces. There’s a lot of work ahead, and COVID-19 showed us just how urgently we need a generation trained to do this kind of work, and to do it very well,” said Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, during the opening of the short course on June 5.
She assured participants they were in good hands and underscored the importance of the partnership between the Department of Journalism and Communication and the School of Public Health, describing it as a vital collaboration that brings together strategic communication and public health expertise. This dynamic, multidisciplinary approach, she noted, is essential to developing practical solutions that empower communities, strengthen health systems, and ultimately improve livelihoods.
The course offers a hands-on, multidisciplinary learning experience, with participants intended to explore key modules including Health Communication and Promotion, Risk Communication, Smart Advocacy, Community Mapping, Community Mobilisation and Empowerment, and Strategies for Community Engagement. The course combines theory with real-world application, and its assessment includes a field-based project and a final exam.
“You are our first cohort. We are seeing the fruits of our efforts in bringing this short course to life. It was born out of a joint initiative to develop a Master’s programme in Health Promotion and Communication,” said Dr. Christine Nalwadda, Head of the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences. “We carried out extensive consultations with our different key stakeholders during the process and discovered a real need for such a course. It was the stakeholders who even named it; this course name didn’t come from us.”
For Kisaakye, by the end of the course in July, she hopes to have sharpened her skills in health promotion and strategic communication, particularly in crafting targeted messages that help individuals and communities effectively respond to threats such as antimicrobial resistance. She also aims to gain practical experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating community health initiatives that can strengthen her advocacy and drive lasting impact.
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