Following an online exhibition on Makerere University championed by Agora, a non-profit organisation advocating for public accountability, the university's Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, has taken to X to share his academic results, tracing his journey from primary school to becoming a professor.
In a statement attached to the results, he addressed the ongoing scrutiny, stating, "Following weeks of speculation by street preachers and foreign-funded agents regarding my academic qualifications, I have found it necessary to make public my academic credentials."
He further added, "I hope this will put the debate that is clearly designed to intimidate me to abandon my mission of eliminating hooliganism at the top Black university on earth and spurring her growth into a formidable research and professionally managed institution. John 8:32 – 'And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
While Prof. Nawangwe’s results highlighted his academic excellence, having emerged as the best student in Uganda in both his Primary Leaving Examinations in 1969 and Senior Four in 1973, many netizens focused on his F9 in Chemistry at A-Level.
He admitted to self-tutoring during this period due to personal reasons but did not provide further details. Despite this, he secured principal passes in Mathematics and Physics, earning him admission to Makerere University for a degree in Civil Engineering. However, due to political circumstances, he left Makerere in 1976 and joined the Kiev Institute of Civil Engineering, where he later obtained a Master of Science in Architecture with distinction in 1983, topping his class. He went on to earn a PhD in Architecture in 1989 from the same institution.
His decision to share his academic credentials followed widespread allegations that he lacked the required number of peer-reviewed publications to qualify as a Professor and Vice-Chancellor of Makerere University. In response, he clarified that he had submitted five peer-reviewed publications for his promotion to Professor, which were externally vetted and deemed credible.
For his Vice-Chancellorship, he submitted 14 peer-reviewed publications, exceeding the required minimum of 10.
"Publication of two books was not and has never been a mandatory requirement for promotion to the rank of Professor at Makerere University as alleged by my detractors," he said.
To further silence doubts, he announced his decision to publicly share his certified academic certificates and a list of his publications, including five chapters in the Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World, published by Cambridge University Press.
Though he admitted to self-teaching at A-Level for undisclosed reasons, netizens focused on his Chemistry results, mocking the fact that he scored an F9 in one of the papers.
However, it is worth noting that he was the top student in Uganda when he sat for his Senior Four exams