Makerere University academic staff have raised concerns over the prolonged presence of heavily armed military personnel and unidentified strangers on campus, describing the situation as unsafe and disruptive to their work environment.
In a letter addressed to Vice-Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe on Monday, 20th January 2026, the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (Muasa) said the military presence has lasted for over two weeks and has negatively affected both staff and the university’s operations.
“No communication has been received from management about the presence of the military personnel and strangers on campus,” the letter reads.
“On Monday 19th January 2026, these soldiers and strangers beat up, injured, and detained one female member of staff from her office area in the College of Education and External Studies and destroyed her phone. Staff have also reported that the presence of these personnel has degraded sanitation and hygiene in their work space.”
The Nile Post could not independently verify the claims of the alleged assault on a staff.
The association’s Executive Committee is now calling on the university administration to provide clarity on the matter and guidance on how staff should proceed amid the unsafe conditions.
“Staff are concerned by intrusion, for over two weeks now, of military personnel and strangers into their work space,” Muasa Chairperson Robert Kakuru and General Secretary Jude Ssempebwa wrote.
“We request that management give staff clarity on the heavy presence of armed military personnel and equipment, and guidance on what they should do now that their work environment has become unsafe and inaccessible.”
The university administration has yet to respond to the staff concerns.
The military presence at Makerere comes a week after the January 15 general elections, during which the government deployed heavily armed personnel across Kampala and other major towns.
The election saw President Museveni secure a seventh term with 71.65% of the vote, while opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, came second with 24.72%.
Bobi Wine has publicly stated to the BBC that he will not challenge the election results.
Makerere University, historically a hub of political activism and student-led protests, has often been considered a sensitive area during periods of political tension, making the military deployment part of broader government security measures across the capital.
MUASA’s letter underscores the growing unease among staff regarding workplace safety, access, and the intrusion of security forces into an academic environment.
