The freeze on U.S. aid has severely impacted institutions and organizations that rely on American financial support, including Uganda’s largest university. Makerere University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe confirmed that the order has disrupted multiple units, particularly in the health sector.
“The Trump order is very serious for Makerere because we get a lot of financial support from institutions of the U.S. government,” Nawangwe said. “The order is affecting many of our activities, especially those related to health.”
Among the hardest-hit programs are the School of Public Health, the College of Health Sciences, and the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), a non-profit organization based at Makerere University. The IDI, established to combat Africa’s HIV crisis, provides antiretroviral therapy (ART) to 20% of all HIV patients in Uganda. ART suppresses HIV replication, slows disease progression, improves immune function, and reduces transmission risks.
With the suspension of U.S. aid, the university has had to either halt or reduce several activities, forcing the temporary layoff of over 200 staff members, primarily from the School of Public Health.
“We have had to halt some of the activities or reduce them while we wait for the 90 days to elapse,” Nawangwe explained. “I want to believe that the eventual decision will not affect health-related activities permanently.”
The suspension has also affected research operations for both students and lecturers, delaying critical studies in various health-related fields.
“The information I have received from the affected units is that they had to suspend some activities and put some staff on hold for the duration of the order,” he added. “I am confident that after the 90-day review, research will be able to continue.”
Nawangwe emphasized that the affected programs play a significant role in supporting Uganda’s health sector. If the U.S. withdraws funding permanently, the university may be forced to turn to the Ugandan Parliament for a supplementary budget to sustain operations until new partners step in.
“The College of Health Sciences is doing a lot of work for the government. If this support is withdrawn, the only option would be to seek additional funding from Parliament to ensure continuity,” he said.
Despite the financial uncertainty, Makerere University recently acquired three new Isuzu buses from Japan, each costing UGX 625 million. Nawangwe unveiled the buses during a press briefing at the university’s Freedom Square, emphasizing their importance in student transportation.
Initially, the university had planned to purchase the buses from Uganda’s Kiira Motors in line with the “Buy Uganda, Build Uganda” (BUBU) policy. However, due to delays in Kiira Motors’ production schedule, the university opted to procure them from an alternative source to avoid losing government-allocated funds.
“The existing buses were in poor mechanical condition, putting students’ lives at risk,” Nawangwe said. “This is a big relief, and we thank Parliament for understanding that these buses are not just for transportation but also serve as training equipment.”
The new buses will mainly transport students in medicine, agriculture, and veterinary programs. Medical students, for example, are ferried daily to hospitals such as Kiruddu and Kawempe, as Makerere University no longer uses Mulago Hospital for teaching due to its increased specialization.
Agriculture students will also use the buses to access practical training farms at Kabanyoro, Nakyesasa, and Buyana, while veterinary students will visit off-campus farms where their “patients” are located.
As the 90-day review of U.S. aid continues, Makerere University remains hopeful that funding for health-related activities will be restored. In the meantime, affected staff members and research programs will have to endure a temporary suspension, with the university seeking alternative support mechanisms to sustain its operations.
