Makerere University
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Makerere University is Uganda's largest university. It was first established as a technical school in 1922, and in 1963 it became the University of East Africa, offering courses leading to general degrees of the University of London. It became an independent national university in 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: University of Nairobi (Kenya), University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Makerere University. Today, Makerere University has 22 faculties, institutes and schools offering programmes for about 30,000 undergraduates and 3,000 postgraduates.
Makerere was home to many post-independence African leaders, including former Ugandan president Milton Obote and retired Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere. Former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa and current Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki are also Makerere alumni.
In the years immediately after Ugandan independence, Makerere University was a focal point for the literary activity that was central to African nationalist culture. Some important writers of today, including Nuruddin Farah, Ali Mazrui, David Rubadiri, Okello Oculi, Ngugi wa Thiongo, John Ruganda, Paul Theroux, and Peter Nazareth, were at Makerere University at one point in their writing and academic careers.
Faculties
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Technology
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Institutes
- Institute of Adult and Continuing Education
- Institute of Computer Science
- Institute of Economics
- Institute of Environment and Natural Resources
- Institute of Social Research
- Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics and Psychology
Schools
- School of Education
- School of Industrial and Fine Arts
- School of Library and Information Science
- Business School
- Graduate School
Departments
- Directorate for ICT Support
Prominent Alumni
Presidents & Prime Ministers
- Julius Nyerere, former President of Tanzania
- Sir Frederick Edward Muteesa II, former king of Buganda and first President Uganda
- Benedicto Kiwanuka, first Prime Minister and first Chief Justice of Uganda
- Milton Obote, two-time President of Uganda
- Joseph Kabila, current President of the DRC Congo
- Benjamin Mkapa, former President of Tanzania
- Mwai Kibaki, current President of Kenya
- Godfrey Binaisa, former President of Uganda
- Yusufu Lule, former President of Uganda
- Dr. Apollo Nsibambi, current Prime Minister of Uganda and Chancellor of Makerere University
Vice Presidents
- Oginga Odinga, first Vice-president of Kenya
- Dr. Samson Kisekka, former Vice President of Uganda
- Dr. Specioza Kazibwe, former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda
- Dr. Gilbert Bukenya, current Vice President of Uganda
International Figures
- Archbishop John Sentamu of York, first black Archbishop of the Church of England
- Peter Takirambudde, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch for sub-Saharan Africa
- Patrick Mazimhaka, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union's African Commission
- Olara Otunnu, UN special representative for children and armed conflict
Business Leaders
- Emmanuel Mutebile, Governor, Bank of Uganda
- Charles Kikonyogo, former Governor, Bank of Botswana, Bank of Uganda
Writers & Journalists
- Okot p'Bitek, poet (was later a lecturer at Makerere)
- Timothy Wangusa, author, poet, one time minister of education, (also served as faculty head and lecturer/professor)
- Okello Oculi, author, poet
- Peter Nazareth, author, critic
- David Rubadiri, Malawian poet, novelist, diplomat
- Ngugi wa Thiongo, novelist (was also a lecturer at Makerere)
- Charles Onyango-Obbo, editor and commentator of East African politics
Others
- James Ogoola, Principal Judge, Uganda High Court
- Harry Nkumbula, a leader during Zambia's in struggle for the independence
Trivia
- A historic and controversial conference of African literature in English language (the first African Writers Conference) was held at Makerere University in 1962, to debate the state of post-colonial African literature. Those who attended included Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ezekiel Mphahlele, Lewis Nkosi, Ngugi wa Thiongo (then known as James Ngugi) and Rajat Neogy. Several nationalist writers refused to acknowledge any literature written in non-African languages as being African literature.
External link
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