Makerere University postpones 76th graduation to late February

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Makerere University has postponed its 76th graduation ceremony to the last week of February, with the administration citing the 2026 general elections that made it impossible to hold the event during the usual January period.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said the decision was taken to ensure the smooth organisation of the ceremony, which traditionally takes place in the last week of January.

“We have been holding graduation in the last week of January, but because of the elections, we postponed it. Graduation is very important in celebrating the achievements of our students,” he told a press conference on Wednesday (January 28) at the university's main campus in Kampala.

Makerere University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, in a group photo with some University officials. (Credit: John Odyek)

This year's graduation will take place from February 24 to February 27 at the university's Freedom Square, starting at 8:30am each day.

During the four-day ceremony, the university will confer degrees and award certificates to 8,432 graduates, including 185 PhDs, 2,034 Master’s graduates, 6,043 Bachelor’s degree holders, 137 postgraduate diploma recipients, and 33 postgraduate certificate awardees.

Nawangwe the relatively lower number of graduates was due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student admissions in 2022.

He assured students that transcripts for those who have completed their studies are ready and will be issued by the college registrars.

'30% growth'

The vice-chancellor reiterated Makerere’s ambition to become a research-led university, with plans to increase the number of graduate students to 30 percent of total enrolment.

He said the number of PhD graduates could significantly rise if government sponsorship was expanded, noting that most PhD students are currently privately funded.

“I am proud to announce that compared to the 75th graduation last year, we have registered a 30 percent growth in graduate student output. This is a result of our strategic decision to prioritise graduate education in line with our research-led agenda."

Nawangwe revealed that the university will confer honorary doctorates on two distinguished individuals; Japeth Kato, the founding chief executive officer of the Capital Markets Authority, and Reeta Roy, the former president and chief executive officer of the Mastercard Foundation, who served from 2008 to 2025.

The academic registrar, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, said the number of graduates is expected to rise in the coming years due to increased enrolment and the introduction of new academic programmes.

He said that although 13,662 students graduated in 2025 compared to 8,432 expected in 2026, admissions have since rebounded to about 13,000 students, up from nearly 5,000 during the peak of the COVID-19 period.

The first deputy vice-chancellor for academic affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, said there are now about 60 public universities, many of which focus mainly on undergraduate programmes, including specialised courses such as oil and gas.

Ssali encouraged public universities to develop unique areas of specialisation to avoid duplication of programmes.

“We could be duplicating training at undergraduate level, but we are not chasing away undergraduate students. We want to enrich the ecosystem,” Ssali said.

She said consultations on courses and programmes are conducted in collaboration with the National Council for Higher Education, adding that Makerere University is well-positioned to provide human resource support to other public universities.