By KT Reporter
Prof. Sarah Ssali has been appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Makerere University. Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe announced the decision late Monday evening after approval by the University Council, Senate, and Chancellor Dr Crispus Kiyonga.
“I have the pleasure to inform all stakeholders and friends of Makerere University that, on the recommendation of Council and the Senate, the Chancellor, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, has appointed Prof. Sarah Ssali as the First Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) of Makerere University,” Prof Nawangwe notes on his X handle.
However, the announcement has drawn a subdued and nearly mute response from academic staff and their association, which has previously criticised the selection process. Amid rising tension, caution, and fear of retaliation at the university, most reactions have been expressed quietly in whispers.
In several WhatsApp groups, lecturers discussed the appointment cautiously, weighing every word before posting. Some messages were brief and measured, with many avoiding direct criticism or praise. Some staff limited their reaction to emojis, signalling either disapproval or uncertainty without leaving a clear written record. The guarded tone reflected the tense atmosphere that had surrounded high-level appointments at the university.
One staff member, speaking to Uganda Radio Network on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation common at Makerere, called the appointment “a manifestation of stage-four cancer that has eaten the university and is causing multiple system and structural failure.”
“It’s a clear indicator that with the collapse of systems and structures, merit has no choice but to take off,” the source noted.
The source added that the University Council, management, and Prof. Ssali were aware she would not succeed in a merit-based selection for the First Deputy Vice Chancellor position, prompting actions that ensured she emerged as the sole candidate.
Another source described the atmosphere among colleagues in one word: subdued.
A few others, including Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) leaders, shared similar views with our reporter but mostly declined to comment officially. MUASA, which opposed the selection process, has yet to release an official statement on the appointment.
Prof. Ssali was the sole shortlisted candidate for the position. The Search Committee, led by Prof. Masagazi Masaazi, reported that only two people applied for the role.
The position of Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs is critical, overseeing academic programs and policies that guide the university’s standards and performance.
The office manages quality assurance, planning, and coordination of undergraduate and postgraduate programs, as well as curriculum development and the utilisation of teaching, research, and library resources.
It also supervises colleges, faculties, institutes, schools, graduate training, the university library, and the Office of the Academic Registrar.
The office became vacant in 2023 when the term of former DVC Prof. Umar Kakumba expired. He continued to serve in an acting capacity for months. In July 2024, Academic Registrar Prof. Mukadas Buyinza was appointed acting Deputy Vice Chancellor and has held the role until Prof. Ssali’s appointment.
URN previously reported that when Prof. Kakumba’s term expired, efforts were made to block his bid for a second term due to conflicts with certain top management members. The university did not advertise the position after his term ended, instead appointing him in an acting capacity until he was ultimately removed. Reports also indicated that Kakumba was suddenly removed from several top management WhatsApp groups, raising questions among staff.
Who Is Prof. Sarah Ssali?
Prof. Sarah Ssali is coming to the office as the second woman to hold the position after Prof. Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza.
According to Makerere University records, Prof. Ssali holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences and a Master of Arts in Gender Studies from Makerere, and a PhD in International Health Studies from Queen Margaret University. She has also completed certificates in Teaching and Assessment of Postgraduate Students, Problem-Based Learning, and Research Uptake and Data Visualisation.
Her career at Makerere began as a Lecturer, advancing to Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and in February this year, she was elevated to the rank of Professor of Gender Studies. She has served as a Research Fellow at the Infectious Diseases Institute and externally as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Limerick.
Since 2004, Prof. Ssali has held roles including Graduate Programmes Coordinator, Exchange Programme Coordinator, Dean, and Director of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identities. Until her appointment, she led the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.
During a public presentation as part of the search process, Prof. Ssali outlined her vision under the theme “Strengthening the Teaching–Research Nexus to Deliver High-Quality Graduates for Africa’s Transformation.”
-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
