Makerere bans phones as 13,000 graduate at 73rd graduation

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The management of Makerere University has banned students and parents from bringing cell phones at the 73rd graduation which starts today, Monday, February 13th at Freedom Square, inside the main campus in Kampala.

According to the chairperson of the Ceremonies Committee Prof Patrick Mangeni; among items barred from the venue include; mobile phones, cameras and video cameras, dangerous weapons (such as guns), chemicals, alcohol, Cigarettes, canned foods and drinks, Bottled drinks, back bags, lighters, glasses and knives.

“A detailed list of prohibited items has been inserted in the graduation invitation package that is presented to the graduands and invited guests,” the chairperson of the Makerere graduation Ceremonies Committee, Prof Patrick Mangeni said in a statement.

The graduation ceremony that ends on Friday will see a total of 13,221 graduands graduate with Diplomas, Bachelor Degrees, and Doctorate Programs. of these; 6,809 (52%) are female while 6,412 (48%) are males.
Additionally, a total of 102 of these are PhD students, 1,378 are master’s students, 108 are postgraduate diplomas and 35 are undergraduate diplomas.

First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni, who is the Minister of Education is expected to grace the ceremony alongside the Vice Chancellor of the University of London, Prof Wendy Thomson.

Makerere Chancellor Prof Ezra Suruma will preside over the ceremony in the event that starts at 7 am on each day of the graduation.

Makerere 73rd Graduation Timeline

According to the official programme seen by this website, the graduation will kickstart with students from the colleges of Natural Sciences, Health Sciences as well as School of Law on Monday, Feb 13, 203.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), Students from the colleges of Education and External Studies, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences will graduate;

While students from the colleges of Business and Management Sciences, Computing and Information Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-Security will graduate on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Makerere University Business School will graduate their students in the various disciplines and the graduation will close on Friday with students from colleges of Humanities and Social Sciences, Engineering, Design, Arts and Technology.

It is yet to be known how efficiently this decision will be implemented as thousands look forward to flooding the Freedom Square with accessories to document the special occasion.