Makerere says Serunkuma not affiliated with the university

Makerere University has maintained that Yusuf Serunkuma is not affiliated with the institution. The university issued the clarification on December 26, 2025, in a statement posted on X.

"The University would like to correct the record regarding Mr Yusuf Serunkuma’s alleged affiliation with Makerere University. In his articles published in print and online, the author has continously signed off as ‘a political theorist based at Makerere University’," the university said in a statement posted on X.

"We would like to clarify that currently, Mr Serunkuma’s only association with Makerere University is as an Alumnus. He is currently not enrolled or based at Makerere University or @MISR_Mak [Makerere Institute of Social Research] in any capacity."

The university has made similar clarifications before. In a 2024 statement signed by the university’s principal public relations officer, Rita Namisango, Makerere said Serunkuma misrepresents himself by signing off his columns as a political theorist based at the university.

The institution explained that Serunkuma enrolled in a five-year interdisciplinary PhD programme in 2012, which included a master’s degree. The programme was funded by the university. However, he failed to meet the requirements to progress to the PhD stage and was terminated.

“Serunkuma does not hold a PhD from Makerere University, is not currently affiliated with the university, and has no ongoing relationship with the institution,” the statement added.

Some observers interpreted the statement to imply that Serunkuma does not hold a PhD at all. Speaking to The Observer, Serunkuma acknowledged his misrepresentation but said he holds a PhD from Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg in Germany. He added that he is still pursuing another PhD at Makerere.

“It is interesting how the university seems unwilling to engage with the facts or even intellectual discourse. Instead, they have chosen to malign me, sadly ignoring the truth,” Serunkuma said. He claimed that Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the vice chancellor, has written about him several times.

“Namisango communicates nothing without the explicit instructions and approvals of Prof Nawangwe; so, this was definitely Nawangwe writing about me,” he added.

Serunkuma also claimed that his disputes with Prof Nawangwe began three years ago. He said Nawangwe accused him of xenophobia and of damaging the reputation of university staff.

He linked the accusations to a court case between himself and Prof Mahmood Mamdani.

“I had sued Mamdani for violating university regulations and acting maliciously. Justice Lydia Mugambe found my evidence convincing,” he said. He added that Mamdani later wrote a column accusing Makerere University Academic Staff Association members of being “regime change intellectuals,” which he publicly challenged.

Serunkuma claimed that Prof Nawangwe later contacted The Observer to demand the removal of the phrase “based at Makerere University” from his profile, but editors refused.

“The editors of this publication weren’t pushovers; these are warriors of the trade. They knew the facts,” he said. He added that he will not remove Makerere University from his profile.