Makerere University celebrated the life of iconic alumnus Mwalimu Julius Nyerere after its grand finale of the centennial celebrations. The late political figure would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year, which Makerere University couldn’t let pass unnoticed.
To remember Mwalimu Nyerere’s life, the university hosted Dr. Aziz Ponary Mlina, the Tanzanian ambassador to Uganda, on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at The Julius Nyerere Leadership Center (JNLC).
The celebrations
The celebrations consisted of several activities, such as planting a Muvule tree at The Leadership Center in honor of Nyerere and an exhibition of several kinds of literature about Nyerere.
Last week, Makerere crowned its centennial celebrations with the two-day #NyerereAt100 Symposium entering Day Two on the exact date Mwalimu Julius Nyerere died 23 years ago.
Celebrating 100 years of Mwalimu Nyerere’s leadership in one of the famous leadership centers in Makerere University, was initiated to recognize the Pan-Africanist legacy laid by the former President of Tanzania.
The Julius Nyerere Leadership Center, located along Makerere Pool Road, was established in memory of the late head of state to create a learning and leadership development legacy.
The two-day symposium, held on October 15th and 16th, 2022, was under the theme Pan-Africanism: Imagining Together an African Future Led by Africa’s Youth.
The activities involved in the symposium include intergenerational conversations on practical leadership, exciting cultural activities, and interactive dialogues.
What the speakers said
Speaking at the event, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University, observed that “It is no wonder that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, a proud student, and admirer of what Mwalimu Nyerere stood for, saw it fit to establish the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre at Makerere University to further advance his mentor’s causes.”
President Museveni launched the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre in June 2018.
The Centre which is located at the former university bookshop near the Senate chambers, is co-managed by Uganda Management Institute, and trains young leaders in universities on Nyerere’s ideologies.
Amb. Dr. Mlina, together with the university’s top administrators led by VC Prof. Nawangwe, toured some key areas in memory of the late pan-Africanist, including his former room at Complex Hall (previously Mitchell Hall).
“We are proud of this gallant Makerere alumnus, a great African freedom fighter and visionary leader,” Prof. Nawangwe said.
Makerere University has resolved to preserve the room used by the late Tanzanian founding President, Julius Nyerere, in Complex Hall.
VC Nawangwe revealed that the room would be renovated and set apart with some collections of materials used by Nyerere.
“This room should be worked on and preserved as a historical site for our alumnus. We shall look for some of his collections and set up the room,” he said.
Currently used as an office at the Institute of Open Distance and Electronic Learning, the room bears Nyerere on the door in his honor. Professor Nawangwe revealed this during celebrations marking the would-be 100th Birthday of Nyerere, held by the Julius Nyerere Leadership Center-(JNLC).
“I pray that the communiqué that will be issued at the end of this symposium will offer appropriate guidance on how we ought to take the debate on the symposium’s theme forward,” Prof Nawangwe hoped.
Amb. Dr. Mlina noted, “The Youth today ought to champion three narratives for Julius Nyerere’s independence; Liberate their minds and have mental independence, Research Innovation & innovation independence, and Invest in Education for technology independence.”
Mzee Joseph Butiku, Chairman of the Board of Directors, gave the youths hope since Africa’s future and integration belong to them. He urged them to learn from the elders who have laid a strong foundation for pan-Africanism.
In his own words, Julius Nyerere believed in the equality and dignity of all human beings and the freedom and well-being of the individual.
“Great ideas do not die so easily; they continue nagging and every human society in history ignores them at its own peril,” he said, quoting Nyerere.
Extrapolating from the ideas of Nyerere, which inspired the starting of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Center, he noted that “Life is about peace, unity and development; using the brains, the physical strength and the environment as our capital.”
“I urge the youth to read the history of the elders since it’s a basement for transforming Africa. History gives you opportunity to dialogue about the issues of Africa,” he urged the African youth.
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Nyerere was born on April 13, 1922, and died on October 14, 1999, leaving a strong legacy behind him. Prof. Nawangwe noted that the celebrations were important because of Nyerere’s legacy as a liberator for Africa.
He noted that Nyerere is outstanding among the greatest alumni of Makerere, adding that he is the first for whom a monument was made at the university, showing how significant his legacy was.
The Julius Nyerere Leadership Center collaborates with Makerere University and the Uganda Management Institute (UMI).
It is premised on the concept of Ekyooto, a Luganda word for a fireplace where elders or distinguished opinion leaders sat and passed on their wisdom and celebrated the legacy of those still alive or those who had passed on.
According to Prof. Edward Kirumira, Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) also the Board Chairman, The Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre will continue to develop a lasting legacy for learning and leadership development in Uganda and on the African Continent.
It will establish a link between lived experiences of leaders and ideologies to deliver a world-class sustainable creatively, and coordinated regional approach to experiential learning and leadership development.
As the young people burning the midnight oil to lead Africa, it stands paramount to know what we want.
“When you do not know what you want, it is dangerous, but when you know what you want, it is good,” said Ms. Neema Nyerere Drago, a niece to the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, speaking on behalf of the Nyerere Family.
In the words of Ms. Neema, Africans are all in one boat, and similar values should move them in one direction.
She observed that though many African youths do not know what they exactly want, they can be helped to realize their potential and become African leaders in diverse fields.
“With universities being innovative and research institutions, does the knowledge gained therein help us resolve Africa’s problems or we still have to import professionals?” she implored.
Universities should aim at transforming the learners’ way of doing things.
“As Africans, we need to dominate our God-given resources right here, and we have the human capacity to dominate our resources,” she said.
She acknowledged that while some claim that Nyerere’s policies in Tanzania were bad, they gave them the position, substance and guidance they needed as a family and society, giving them identity as Tanzanians and Africans.
Kahinda Otafiire, the Minister of Internal Affairs in Uganda, remembered Nyerere as a distinguished statesman, gallant and visionary.
Otafiire is a political leader in Uganda and represented Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, the expected Chief Guest.
Simultaneously, he keenly acknowledged that since 1992, Makerere University has been known to produce people with impactful potential who have continued to impact society massively.
“Education must be problem-solving and foster goals for co-existence,” he noted.
While calling for Africans to labor to understand Nyerere’s ideas, practice, and actualize them, he noted that “Nyerere’s ideas were philosophical and generated after careful thinking.
He was preaching the philosophy of self-reliance, independence, and unity with the faith that, as Africans, we are on our own.”
He urged the youth and all Africans to use their intellect because our debt is to fulfill and actualize the environment Nyerere was fighting for.
“Young people, work so hard to ensure that as Africans, we rescue our resources. …as youth, we must struggle to finish African liberation, economically, technologically and otherwise,” he urged.
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He underscored the need for innovation while also placing unity as Africans at the forefront of such achievements as a continent.
He advised that Africa should stop being producers of and exporters of raw materials only but instead work on exporting finished goods.
Deducing from the words of Mwalimu Nyerere, he warned that “Unity will not make us rich, but it will make Africans and Africa not to be disregarded and humiliated.”
Research in universities
Commenting on the need for universities and academic institutions to be updated, Dr. Umar Kakumba, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Makerere University, updated the audience that “We have reconfigured our strategic direction.
Universities do a lot of research and Makerere is not short in terms of research output and also ranking on the top side of the continent.”
He represented Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, on day two of the event.
“The research that Makerere University is focusing on in the next 100 years from today is informative, impactful, informing and presenting solutions, policies, techs, services and the training of structured programs that can inform our people and improve the population and livelihoods of our people,” he revealed, citing the university’s ten-year strategic plan as the map.
Additional information by Benvictor Makau.
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