Makerere University introduces e-certificates, expands digital learning

What the report says

The Observer reported that Makerere University has introduced electronic academic transcripts and certificates, giving graduates online access to their credentials and allowing employers and other authorised users to verify documents digitally with a graduate’s consent. The university says the shift is intended to modernise academic services, reduce the need for alumni to return to campus for certified records, and improve the security and credibility of its academic documentation.

Academic registrar Prof Mukadasi Buyinza said the e-credential system is part of a wider digital transformation programme at the university. According to the report, Makerere has also fully adopted blended learning across its programmes and is working on fully online degree offerings that would allow students outside Uganda and elsewhere to study remotely for Makerere qualifications.

The reforms are also tied to curriculum changes expected from the 2026/2027 academic year, when Makerere plans to roll out revised programmes aligned with the government’s move toward Competency-Based Education and Training. The Observer reported that the review is aimed at making teaching more practical and better connected to workplace skills and employability.

In the same update on Makerere’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, vice chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe rejected claims that the university lacks lecturers or has halted recruitment and promotions. He said Makerere has about 32,000 students and roughly 1,400 teaching staff, including around 1,100 lecturers with PhDs, giving a lecturer-to-student ratio he described as stronger than the international benchmark cited in the report.