A wave of disappointment has swept across Uganda following the dramatic drop of Makerere University in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025.
Once a source of national pride, the university has fallen from 13th to a joint 41st place in Africa a slide that has sparked concern among students, parents, and education stakeholders.
The ranking, which evaluated over 100 African universities, now places Makerere alongside 31 other institutions in a shared position.
Though still Uganda’s top-ranked and sole representative on the list, Makerere’s sharp decline marks its worst placement in recent years, raising questions about the direction and stewardship of the institution during Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe’s tenure as Vice Chancellor.
The rankings assessed institutions using 18 indicators across key pillars such as teaching, research quality, international outlook, and industry engagement.
While Makerere maintained a regional edge over peers like Kenya’s Kenyatta University (ranked 74th), universities from neighboring countries including Rwanda and Tanzania failed to appear on the list—leaving East Africa with little to celebrate.
Meanwhile, countries like South Africa and Egypt continue to soar. South African universities dominate the top 10, with the University of Cape Town leading the continent, followed by University of the Witwatersrand and University of Johannesburg. Egypt and Algeria are the most represented nations, with 35 and 26 universities, respectively.
In Uganda, the reaction to Makerere’s fall has ranged from frustration to calls for introspection.
“There was a time when Makerere was the intellectual heartbeat of Africa. Now we are slipping while others surge ahead,” said Mr. John Mugisha, an education policy analyst. “We cannot ignore issues like governance, underfunding, and stifled academic freedom.”
This dip comes amid growing criticism of Prof. Nawangwe’s administration, which has been accused by some academics of prioritizing infrastructure over academic rigor and research excellence.
There have also been controversies around staff strikes, restricted speech, and tensions with the student body all of which may have impacted the university’s global image.
