By Aggrey Twesigye
President Museveni has appointed Prof. Jack Mogi Nyeko as the new Chancellor of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST).
Prof. Nyeko, 77, is the former Vice Chancellor of Gulu University and will replace Prof. Charles Mark Olweny, who has served as Chancellor since 2017.
According to the University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Pauline Byakika-Kibwika, the new Chancellor will be officially installed on Saturday during the institution’s 32nd graduation ceremony. The event will be presided over by Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze, representing the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni.
A total of 1,382 graduands are expected to receive awards during the ceremony at MUST’s main campus in Kihumuro, Mbarara City. Of these, 973 are male and 642 are female. Thirty-one students — 22 men and nine women will be awarded PhDs, while 392 will graduate with master’s degrees and 990 with bachelor’s degrees.
Prof. Byakika said the university continues to play a vital role in building Uganda’s human resource capacity. She noted that MUST will this year mark 36 years of existence, having started in 1989 with a single Faculty of Medicine and just 43 students.
The university has since expanded to six faculties and now enrolls more than 6,000 students pursuing 68 accredited programs in various fields of science, technology, and innovation. One of its latest milestones is the introduction of a Master of Medicine in Neuroscience program, making MUST one of only two universities in Uganda — alongside Makerere University — to offer the specialized course.
Meanwhile, Rwizi Region Police Spokesperson, SP Samson Kasasira, has assured the public that adequate security measures have been put in place for the graduation ceremony and urged parents and graduands to remain vigilant throughout the event as a safety precaution.
