Members of Parliament have questioned Makerere University management over sexual harassment allegations, complaints involving State House scholarship beneficiaries, academic programme accreditation and restrictions on access to the institution’s Freedom Square.
The issues arose on Monday, October 26, 2026, during a meeting between the Public Accounts Committee (Central Government) and university officials to scrutinise Makerere’s accountability and service delivery.
Kabarole District Woman MP Annet Kirungi asked what measures the university had put in place to protect female students following allegations of sexual harassment. She stressed that parents expect the institution to provide a safe environment for their children.
Makerere University Secretary Yusuf Kiranda said the institution maintains zero tolerance for sexual harassment and has established procedures for handling complaints.
He told the committee that management had appointed a committee to investigate the recent allegations, invited complainants to present evidence and asked the officer implicated in the matter to step aside.
Kiranda added that staff found culpable in previous investigations had been dismissed, assuring MPs that the current cases would also be addressed.
The committee also sought clarification on reports that some students awarded State House scholarships had been unable to register at the university.
Kilak South County MP Gilbert Olanya said President Yoweri Museveni had awarded 100 scholarships to students from the Acholi sub-region, particularly those pursuing science-related courses.
Kiranda explained that the university had registered students whose names were officially submitted by State House. He pledged to investigate the complaints once the affected students’ details were provided.
Questions were also raised about the accreditation of academic programmes and the discontinuation of certain courses.
Tororo South County MP Fredrick Angura asked about delays in accreditation and cited Construction Management as an example of a programme affected by the changes.
Kiranda maintained that the university’s programmes were accredited by the National Council for Higher Education. He added that curriculum reviews and the discontinuation of programmes did not invalidate qualifications already obtained by graduates.
Meanwhile, committee chairperson Patrick Nsamba questioned the decision to restrict access to Freedom Square, warning that the measures could limit students’ opportunities to engage in political discussions and develop leadership skills.
Kiranda defended the restrictions, saying the university had introduced an advance-booking system to manage competing requests for its venues from political, cultural, religious and academic groups.
The university’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Finance, Henry Alinaitwe, also called for increased government funding to improve students’ welfare.
He noted that students currently receive a daily allowance of Shs4,500 and appealed to Parliament to allocate additional resources to help the university improve the quality of meals served to students.
