At Makerere, another exodus of scholars raises alarms

On a Thursday in late September, Uganda’s oldest and most prestigious university quietly approved the departure of nearly a dozen senior academics.

The resignations, captured in a dry administrative memo signed by the chief human resource officer, mask a deeper unease now rippling through Makerere University’s lecture halls and offices.

Eighteen staff members have walked away, including 12 academics ranging from assistant lecturers to full professors. Among them are respected figures such as Professor Jacob Godfrey Agea of the department of Extension and Innovation Studies, who must settle outstanding utility bills before his exit is finalized, and Associate Professor Wilber Manyisa Aheba from the department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism.

They are not alone. Dr Marion Alina, a journalism lecturer; Dr Simon Echegu, a senior geologist; Dr Clement Nabuuto Lutaaya, a library science scholar; and Dr Alex Samuel Bamunoba, a senior mathematician, are also leaving.

Some will receive pay in lieu of notice, three months for a few, two months for others, and just one month for several more. But the document, staff say, tells only part of the story.

“THE REAL NUMBER IS HIGHER”

“The real number is higher. The university has a serious problem, and it’s only growing,” said one academic who asked not to be named.

They believe the list excludes colleagues whose resignation letters were filed too late for the September 25 meeting or are still winding through the bureaucracy. That sense of uncertainty now defines campus life.

Makerere, long seen as the pinnacle of higher education in East Africa, is rapidly losing its grip as an employer of choice.

“Other institutions, including newer public universities, are now preferred,” another lecturer said.

“Employment systems there are fairer and more law- abiding; so, people feel they can grow their careers better outside Makerere.”

Even the once-vocal Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) has grown quieter. Members are reluctant to speak on record, fearing retaliation. The latest wave of departures comes as the university simultaneously announced 54 new appointments, most of them in non-teaching roles.

Of those, 26 are academic staff, the majority at entry-level assistant lecturer positions. On paper, the numbers appear to balance out, 18 out, 54 in. But the departures reveal a subtler erosion: senior scholars with years of research and institutional memory leaving, replaced largely by early-career lecturers still finding their footing.

A SLOW BLEED

For Uganda’s premier university, this slow bleed of talent raises uncomfortable questions. Can Makerere continue to attract and retain top academics? Or will the quiet, steady stream of resignations hollow out the very heart of the institution?

For now, administrators insist business goes on as usual. But in the corridors where professors once lingered and debated ideas, the silence feels heavier.