The recent appointment of Dr. Chrispus Kiyonga as the Chancellor of Makerere University has raised serious questions about the adherence to due process in the country’s institutions. Critics argue that the appointment is emblematic of a larger national crisis that reflects a disregard for proper governance and institutional integrity.
The Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act of 2001 (as amended) clearly stipulates that the Chancellor of a public university must be appointed by the President, based on the recommendations of the University Council. In line with this, Makerere University’s Council formed a search committee, which advertised the vacancy and encouraged qualified individuals to apply. After an exhaustive vetting process, the council submitted two candidates—Prof. William Bazeyo and Dr. Charles Wana Etyem—to the President for consideration.
However, in a move that has sparked public outcry, President Museveni bypassed the two shortlisted candidates and instead appointed his long-time political ally, Dr. Kiyonga, who had not gone through the established selection process.
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Kampala, Doreen Nyanjura, who is a former member of the Makerere University Council and also a Councillor representing Makerere University in KCCA described the appointment as a “procedural oversight” that mirrors the dysfunction plaguing the country’s governance. “Makerere University, often referred to as a microcosm of Uganda, is now living up to this title in the worst possible way,” she remarked. Nyanjura also highlighted the growing complacency among students and lecturers, who have remained silent in the face of this irregularity.
Adding fuel to the controversy is the fact that Edwin Karugire, the Chair of the University’s Appointments Board, is President Museveni’s son-in-law. With Kiyonga’s appointment, Nyanjura claims that another political loyalist has been added to an already closely-knit circle of individuals tied to the President’s family.
“This irregular appointment tarnishes the image of Makerere University, just as we have seen in other public institutions that have been personalized to serve the interests of Museveni’s inner circle,” Nyanjura stated. She warned that nepotism and the flouting of institutional procedures are eroding the fabric of Uganda’s governance.
As questions about Kiyonga’s appointment continue to circulate, critics fear that this is not an isolated incident but part of a wider trend of undermining the country’s institutions. “This is the iceberg that will sink Uganda,” Nyanjura concluded.
