Makerere University is under fire following the release of a viral video by Pastor Martin Ssempa exposing what he describes as “shameful” living conditions in several student hostels. The footage, which has triggered widespread public backlash, shows visibly deteriorated infrastructure and unsanitary conditions in some of the university’s oldest halls of residence.
Shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Pastor Ssempa’s video documents cracked floors, broken walls, rotting ceilings, and uncollected garbage in hostels such as University Hall, Mitchell, Nsibirwa, and Nkrumah. Toilets shown in the video were visibly filthy, while some stairwells appeared structurally compromised.
“These hostels resemble ghettos, not facilities of Africa’s top university,” Ssempa remarked. “While students sleep in these conditions, the Vice Chancellor is globe-trotting in limousines.”
Ssempa, an outspoken clergyman and former Makerere student, accused Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe of ignoring urgent infrastructural needs in favor of personal and administrative luxuries. He questioned whether the university’s continued infrastructure decay stems from a lack of resources or leadership priorities.
The video quickly sparked debate online, with many Ugandans—including Makerere alumni—expressing outrage and demanding accountability from university management. “This is why Makerere continues to fall in global rankings,” one commenter posted. Others called for the Ministry of Education and the University Council to intervene.
This latest controversy adds to a growing list of challenges facing Makerere University, which in recent years has dealt with frequent staff strikes, deteriorating facilities, and a declining presence in global university rankings.
Efforts to reach the university administration for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication. As the video continues to circulate, pressure is mounting on Makerere leadership to respond to public concerns and commit to immediate improvements in student housing standards.
