In the 41st position, the ghosts of Why Nations Fail at Makerere University.

 

The recent “Makerere Exhibition” commandeered by Agora Discourse on social media sparked public appetite to have their eyes devour the happenings at Uganda’s greatest University. As the swift and slippery Agatha Atuhaire caught and squeezed the tail of the Hill’s Nawangwe, netizens took interest in the qualifications of the good professor. Interestingly, all but none of the university’s academic and administrative staff have not dared join in asking the million dollar question; Did Nawangwe have the required papers to become a Vice Chancellor of Makerere University? The writing on the wall and the mouse rushing through the wall doth seem to suggest a negative answer.

 

The expectation is that a head of an academic institution who has his papers being questioned, and who has on many occasions interdicted people on mere suspicion or perhaps infatuation, would first step aside pending an investigation. But this did not happen for reasons I will explain later on.

Last year marked a critical time for political economists when two promoters of institutional reform James Acemoglu and Robinson were recognized as noble laureates. The duo are renowned for their famous Why Nations Fail, in which they argue that nations succeed or fail depending on the nature of their institutions. Their analysis, which many economic and political analysts agree with, is that nations that are failing economically because they have exclusive and extractive political and economic institutions. This is because the extractive political institutions do not promote a system of checks and balances. Coping from their argument, I argued, during a guild presidential debate in 2022, that institutions fail because of the systems they develop, and the policies that run these systems. I closed saying that in order for the students and staff to enjoy a flourishing Makerere, there was need for a system and policy reform.

My arguments seem to have fallen on deaf ears because the extractive and exclusive nature of the institution has already taken center stage. No wonder, Prof. Nawangwe has been in the limelight for issuing arbitrary suspensions of students and staff depending on his mood. Little wonder student leadership at Makerere University has always been at loggerheads with the administration. Little wonder that the University has consistently retarded in the world rankings including its most treasured field- Research and now falls 41st in Africa. Little wonder that last year, the same professor attempted to witch-hunt a renown Professor of law merely because the law don set an exam whose contents offended the powers that be. The current Makerere administration which serves as an extension of Plot 1 Nakasero is slowly but steadily stifling academic freedom and may lead us back to Egypt when we already crossed the Red Sea.

In the ongoing exhibition where the good professor came to explain himself, he said he left Makerere University in the 70s and went to study in Ukraine due to ‘political issues’. It is ironical that the man who has ever fled abroad due to political witchhunt has presided over the same at the University he once fled from. I vividly remember in 2019 we had female student whose academic progress was made impossible and her life threatened by the powers that she fled to Nairobi. This is happening at what is supposed to be the Harvard of Africa.

It seems the ghost of oppression and suppression of dissent, the demon of embezzlement and misappropriation of resources, and the evil spirit of high ‘taxation’ without a corresponding delivery of services that emanate from the national level have engulfed the mighty institution. Almost everything going wrong in this country at a national scene is taking place or has taken place at Makerere University. Is it not cause to worry about the future generation of leaders and public servants the University is grooming?

I will not talk about the family in charge of all appointments and policies. I will not talk about the nepotism tendencies at the institution. I will not talk about the infrastructure deficiencies at the institution. I will not talk about the poor state of halls of residences. I will not talk about the massive underutilized property of the University. I will not talk about mishandling of undergraduate research projects and how the University has failed to pursue intellectual protection for its undergraduate innovators.

What I will talk about is that if the people in charge of Makerere University, thought in the interest of institution’s progress rather than their wellbeing, the embattled Professor would have resigned yesterday. Short of that, the University continues to occupy the leeward side of the recommendations in Why Nations Fail.

 

Prosper Ahabwe Julian is a lawyer and business analyst.  ahabwejprosper21@gmail.com