Kampala, Uganda · 24 February 2026
Makerere University held its 76th graduation ceremony from 24 to 27 February 2026 at Freedom Square, conferring a record 213 PhDs — a significant increase from the 144 doctoral graduates at the previous year's 75th graduation. The four-day ceremony also saw 2,503 master's degrees, 206 postgraduate diplomas, 6,343 undergraduate degrees, and 30 undergraduate diplomas awarded across the university's colleges.
The 213 PhDs comprised 87 female and 126 male graduates, while the master's cohort included 1,087 female and 1,416 male graduates. The gender distribution at the doctoral level, with women accounting for approximately 41% of PhD conferrals, reflects ongoing efforts to close the gender gap in advanced research training across African universities.
Commencement Speakers and Ceremony Structure
The graduation was organised across four days, with each day dedicated to specific colleges. The commencement speakers reflected the breadth of Makerere's institutional partnerships and the intersection of academia with policy, finance, and philanthropy:
| Day | Date | Colleges | Commencement Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuesday, 24 February | CAES, CoCIS, CEES, School of Law | Prof. Nicholas Ozor, Executive Director, African Technology Policy Studies Network, Nairobi |
| 2 | Wednesday, 25 February | CHS, CoNAS, CoVAB, School of Public Health | Prof. Dr. Maggie Kigozi, Chairperson, Makerere University Endowment Fund Board |
| 3 | Thursday, 26 February | MUBS, CoBAMS | Dr. Patricia Adongo Ojangole, Managing Director, Uganda Development Bank |
| 4 | Friday, 27 February | CEDAT, CHUSS, IGDS, MISR | Ms. Reeta Roy, Former President & CEO, Mastercard Foundation |
The appearance of Ms. Reeta Roy, former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mastercard Foundation, as commencement speaker on the final day underscored the Foundation's significant investment in African higher education. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and its support for ARUA's Early-Career Research Fellowships represent some of the largest philanthropic commitments to African university capacity building.
Institutional Transformation Toward Research-Intensity
According to the university's Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT), the record doctoral numbers reflect Makerere's steady transformation into a research-led institution. The DGT's January-June 2026 newsletter noted that the university has been redesigning PhD crosscutting courses, enhancing supervision structures, improving infrastructure, and strengthening partnerships with global institutions to lay the foundation for increased doctoral success.
The university's Research and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF), supported by the Government of Uganda with over $8 million annually, has been a critical driver of the research ecosystem that feeds doctoral training. The fund supports groundbreaking innovations by students, faculty, and community innovators across diverse disciplines including food security, public health, clean energy, climate resilience, education reform, and digital transformation.
College-Level Highlights
Individual colleges demonstrated particular strength in doctoral output. The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) presented a record 28 PhDs at the ceremony, while the College of Health Sciences (CHS) showcased 26 PhD graduates, highlighting research strength in areas critical to Uganda's development priorities.
The best-performing students were also recognised. Ms. Sarah Aloyo and Ms. Nakato Dorothy, students of the Bachelor of Procurement and Supply Chain Management, emerged as the best in the Humanities and best overall students with a CGPA of 4.93. Ms. Esther Ziribaggwa was named the best student in the Sciences with a CGPA of 4.77 in the Bachelor of Agricultural and Rural Innovation.
Broader Implications for African Higher Education
Makerere's record doctoral output comes at a time when African universities are under increasing pressure to produce the PhD-level expertise needed to drive the continent's research, innovation, and development agendas. The African Union's Continental Education Strategy for Africa (2016-2025) and the broader Agenda 2063 framework have emphasised the need to expand postgraduate training capacity, particularly in STEM fields.
The graduation ceremony also followed Makerere's hosting of the ARUA 5th Biennial International Conference in October 2025, where the university signed an MoU with Astria Learning to establish an AI e-Campus aimed at accelerating postgraduate education. These developments collectively position Makerere as a case study in how sustained government investment, international partnerships, and institutional reform can scale doctoral training capacity at African universities.
Sources:
- Makerere University News, "76th Graduation Highlights," 24 February 2026
- Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training, Newsletter January-June 2026
- Makerere University News, "Makerere's 76th Graduation Ceremony: CHS showcases research strength with 26 PhD graduates," February 2026
- Makerere University News, "CAES Presents Overall Best Performing Student in the Sciences & a Record 28 PhDs," February 2026
- SoftPower News, "Makerere to Confer Record 185 PhDs at 76th Graduation Ceremony," January 2026
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Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
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