Makerere University has come out swinging against reports suggesting its academic standing has plummeted.
This, after Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe issued a detailed clarification that essentially amounts to “fake news” regarding the institution’s international rankings.
The response comes after a media storm erupted over claims that Uganda’s flagship university had suffered a dramatic fall from grace.
In a formal statement dated July 9th, Prof. Nawangwe addressed what he termed “clarification” needed regarding a Daily Monitor report from July 8th about Makerere’s ranking position.
The university’s defense hinges on a fundamental distinction between different ranking systems that, according to their interpretation, media reports have conflated to create a misleading narrative about institutional decline.
According to the clarification, Times Higher Education ranks Makerere as the leading university in East Africa, while other international agencies place it among the top performers both regionally and globally.
The university specifically highlighted its 7th position in Africa and 912th globally in some rankings, emphasizing particular strength in Health Sciences research.
Perhaps most significantly, Makerere obtained official clarification from Times Higher Education itself, which confirmed several key points that support the university’s position. The ranking organization clarified that Makerere’s actual performance places it in the 1201-1500 band, not the lower position suggested in media reports.
Additionally, they confirmed that institutional rankings within bands are alphabetical rather than performance-based, meaning Makerere’s numerical position doesn’t reflect its actual academic standing relative to peers.
While Makerere celebrates this clarification as vindication, critics might argue that the university’s need to issue such detailed explanations suggests underlying concerns about its competitive position in an increasingly challenging higher education landscape.
