Makerere University has named Prof. Sarah Ssali as its new Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, making her only the second woman to hold the powerful post in the institution’s century-long history.
The appointment, confirmed by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and formalised by Chancellor Dr. Crispus Kiyonga on the recommendation of the University Council and Senate, places Prof. Ssali at the helm of teaching, learning, and research policy at Uganda’s oldest and largest public university.
She replaces Prof. Umar Kakumba, who vacated the office in 2024.
“Prof. Ssali becomes the second woman to hold this position in Makerere’s one hundred years,” Prof. Nawangwe said, hailing her appointment as a milestone in the university’s leadership journey.
An accomplished scholar, Prof. Ssali holds a PhD in International Health Studies from Queen Margaret University in Scotland, a Master’s in Gender Studies, and a BA in Social Sciences from Makerere. She has built her career on research and teaching in health policy, gender, HIV/AIDS, and social protection, publishing widely and advising international organisations.
She previously served as Dean of the School of Women and Gender Studies, where she helped shape curriculum reforms and gender-focused academic programmes.
The first woman to hold the Deputy Vice-Chancellor role was Prof. Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza, a legal academic who later rose to Uganda’s Supreme Court.
With her appointment, Prof. Ssali now steps into a role central to Makerere’s academic administration and policy direction, a position that will shape the future of higher education at the university.
