Makerere University is reeling from yet another wave of resignations as 18 staff members, including senior lecturers and professors, officially quit the institution in what insiders describe as a growing crisis at Uganda’s oldest and most prestigious university.
A document signed by the Chief Human Resource Officer shows the Appointments Board, during its sitting on Thursday, September 25, approved the departures of 12 academic staff and six non-academic staff.
Among those leaving are Professor Jacob Godfrey Agea from the Department of Extension and Innovation Studies and Associate Professor Wilber Manyisa Aheba from the Department of Forestry, Biodiversity, and Tourism. While Professor Agea’s resignation was accepted, he was instructed to first clear outstanding utility bills before formally exiting.
Other notable resignations include Dr. Marion Alina from the Department of Journalism and Communication, Dr. Simon Echegu from the Department of Geology and Petroleum Studies, Dr. Clement Nabuuto Lutaaya from the Department of Library and Information Science, and Dr. Alex Samuel Bamunoba from the Department of Mathematics.
Some of the departing staff will be compensated with payment in lieu of notice ranging from one to three months, though no arrangements were specified for others.
But insiders say the official figure doesn’t tell the full story. “The real number is higher,” one staff member revealed. “Several colleagues have already submitted letters that haven’t reached the board yet, or were filed after the cut-off. Makerere has a serious problem and it’s only growing.”
The resignations point to deeper unrest within the university, where even outspoken members of the Makerere University Academic Staff Association are said to have gone quiet, fearing reprisals.
“Makerere is rapidly losing its appeal as an employer of choice,” another staff member said anonymously. “Other institutions, including newer public universities, are now preferred. The systems there are fairer and more law-abiding, so people feel they can grow their careers better outside Makerere.”
At the same time as the resignations, the Appointments Board approved 54 new hires, mostly in non-teaching roles. Around 26 are academic staff, but the majority are at assistant lecturer level, raising fresh questions about whether Makerere can replace the experience it is losing.
For many, the latest exodus is more than just routine staff turnover. It is a warning sign that Uganda’s top university is struggling to keep its brightest minds.
