Makerere University officially welcomed its 2026/2027 cohort of freshers at the opening of Orientation Week held at Freedom Square on Monday, 3rd August 2026, bringing together university leaders, staff, and thousands of newly admitted students for a day centred on academic discipline, integrity, and what it truly takes to make it through the hill.
Among the many messages delivered to the new intake, one line from former Guild President Hon. Lawrence Ariong Dangote stood out: “Hard work beats talent if talent does not learn to work hard.” It was a fitting capstone to a day built around preparing freshers for the realities of university life, both in the classroom and beyond it.
Academic Registrar Sets The Tone
Academic Registrar Prof. Mukadasi Muyinza congratulated the freshers on their admission, welcoming them into Makerere’s long-standing tradition of scholarship, research, and innovation. He reminded them that arriving at Makerere marked a new chapter in their lives, one where they would now be responsible for shaping their own story.
He urged students to actively participate in academic activities, complete assignments on time, and uphold integrity throughout their studies, cautioning against examination malpractice, forgery, and other forms of academic misconduct that could lead to dismissal.
Muyinza stressed that admission remains provisional until registration requirements are fulfilled, warning students plainly that they are not technically students until they register, and that failure to register within the stipulated period would mean forfeiting admission altogether. He also guided freshers on programme changes, registration procedures, and tuition requirements, and encouraged financial discipline and caution against online scams.
Dean Of Students On Welfare And Accommodation
Dean of Students Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli briefed freshers on accommodation, health services, feeding, spiritual welfare, and leadership opportunities available at the university. She advised students seeking off-campus housing to only choose accredited private hostels approved by the university, prioritising safety, comfort, and proximity to campus.
Prof. Mukadasi (center), Dean of Students Dr. Winnie Kabumbuli, and members of staff during the freshers’ orientation.
She also urged students to open medical files at the University Hospital and seek proper medical attention rather than self-medicating whenever they fall ill, while encouraging participation in spiritual fellowship and leadership opportunities at class, hall, and college level.
Kabumbuli noted that Makerere has admitted more than 800 international students from 55 countries across five continents this intake, underscoring the university’s commitment to an inclusive learning environment.
Dangote shared his own journey to inspire the freshers, recalling how he joined Makerere in 2019 as a young student from Arua with, as he put it, an empty pocket and a bag full of dreams. He described the university as “the hill of endless possibilities” and challenged students to make the most of every opportunity available to them, cautioning against peer pressure, financial recklessness, and online investment scams along the way.
Closing the orientation, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Prof. Sarah Ssali, representing Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, officially welcomed the freshers. She reminded students that every academic programme offered by the university is valuable, telling them, “Whatever you have been given, do it as if your life depends on it.”
Ssali reaffirmed the university’s zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment and exploitation, urging students not to suffer in silence and to raise their voice whenever needed. She encouraged freshers to engage beyond the classroom through research, innovation, sports, leadership, and community engagement, while rejecting examination malpractice, plagiarism, violence, and substance abuse.
She closed by challenging the new students to think about the legacy they want to leave behind at Makerere, urging them to pursue excellence, take ownership of their learning, and make the most of every opportunity the university offers.
Orientation Week continues with college-based sessions introducing freshers to their specific academic programmes, registration processes, and student support services ahead of the start of the new academic year.
