Makerere Lord Councillor DPC Welcomes 2026/2027 Freshers, Calls for Patriotism and Academic Focus

KAMPALA — The Lord Councillor representing Makerere University Community’s 20 villages has welcomed students joining Makerere University for the 2026/2027 academic year, urging freshers to remain focused on education, patriotism and community development.

In a message dated August 24, 2026, issued through the Office of the Lord Councillor, the university’s incoming students were described as joining an institution with more than a century of history and a long-standing contribution to Uganda’s development.

The message, signed by the Governor Makerere and L.C5 Lord Councillor, said freshers were joining what it described as a “community of struggle and excellence,” while highlighting Makerere’s contribution to producing professionals and leaders across the country.

“Welcome to Makerere University — the Hill that has built Uganda for over 100 years,” the message stated.

The statement also pointed to Makerere’s wider institutional influence, referencing its main campus and other institutions and campuses, including Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Jinja, Fort Portal, Arua and Mbale.

The Lord Councillor further encouraged students to balance their academic responsibilities with extracurricular activities, describing both as important components of university life.

A major theme of the welcome message was patriotism and maintaining focus on education. The statement linked this to the National Patriotism Training programme, saying students entering university have, in many cases, encountered patriotism training during their secondary education.

According to the message, the programme is intended to promote discipline, patriotism and commitment to national development, while reminding students that their primary responsibility at university is to pursue education.

The Office of the Lord Councillor also highlighted socio-economic transformation initiatives within the Makerere University community, particularly government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Emyooga and the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP).

The message claimed that more than 81 percent of the non-salaried population within the Makerere community are targeted beneficiaries of such programmes.

It further made political claims about the impact of government mobilisation in the area, stating that President Yoweri Museveni secured 92 percent of the vote in the recently concluded presidential elections in the community, while the National Resistance Movement (NRM) reportedly secured 97 percent in the recently concluded LC1 elections.

The claims were presented as evidence of what the authors described as growing engagement with government programmes.

For the incoming students, however, the message said the immediate priority should remain education.

The Lord Councillor pledged to equip freshers with knowledge about PDM, OWC and Emyooga, with the stated objective of enabling students to take knowledge acquired at university back to their communities during holidays.

The message concluded with an appeal to students to work hard and use their education to contribute to national development.

“Study hard. Serve the Nation,” the statement said, before signing off with Makerere University’s motto, “For God and My Country.”

The welcome message comes as universities prepare to receive a new generation of students for the 2026/2027 academic year, with freshers expected to begin adapting to academic, social and leadership life on campus.