Uganda’s Muni University wins inaugural Mastercard higher education award

What the report says

The Independent Uganda reported on July 21, 2026, that Uganda’s Muni University is among five African institutions named as the first winners of the Mastercard Foundation’s Africa Higher Education for Transformation Prize. The new annual award, launched in Kigali, Rwanda, is backed by a $500 million commitment over its first 10 years and is intended to support universities and higher education institutions that are reshaping learning and opportunity for young people across the continent.

The inaugural recipients are Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering in Burkina Faso, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, Muni University in Uganda, and the University of Rwanda. According to the report, each institution will receive $3 million for agreed initiatives aimed at expanding and scaling its work.

Muni University was recognized in the “Transitions to Employment” category for its work with refugees and underserved youth. The Independent said the university’s Refugee and Host Community Youth Empowerment and Transformation Initiative has helped as many as 70 percent of participants find work within three months of completing the programme.

The prize also highlights areas such as teaching and learning, research and innovation, entrepreneurship, employment pathways, health, climate, agriculture, and digital or STEM fields. The Mastercard Foundation plans to recognize at least 150 African institutions over the next decade. The 2026 laureates are expected to be formally awarded at a Higher Education Transformation Convening in Accra, Ghana, on September 22, 2026.