This dissertation research is an historical case study that tells the story of student political activism at Makerere University. The study's specific focus is not necessarily the theoretical underpinnings of student protest, but rather its historical unfolding: how, when, and why student crises occurred as well as their consequences and impact on the process of education. The study seeks to address the existing paucity of empirical knowledge of student critical voice in Uganda's higher education. It not only provides an historical map of this crucial phenomenon, but also discusses how political consciousness impacts education.
The choice of Makerere University as a unit of investigation deserves mention. Makerere University is not only the oldest university in Eastern Africa, but was the sole university in Uganda up until the 1980s, hence the only institution that represents the historical roots of Uganda's higher education. Its 81-year history as well as its distinctive character as a powerful symbol of African independence and nationalism, provides a formidable research base for a study that historicizes the role of students in the academy.
This study was conducted using a historical case study methodology, which relied on archival, published and non-published documents, and individual interviews.
The following questions guided the study: When, why, and how did the protests occur? What were the underlying issues, and to what extent was ideology a factor? How did the students, the government and the university administration respond? What were the immediate and long-term consequences? How did student activism affect the university and society?
The study demonstrates that student activism at Makerere University has been buttressed by students' elite consciousness, reflected in their sense of obligation to become the conscience of the nation, especially on issues of democracy, social justice and political accountability. Their often radical stance is closely related to their growing political consciousness across time as well as the government's coercive approach to crisis. Students have claimed a powerful positionality in the academy as exemplified by their ability to force policy and administrative change, and many of the former student activists have played an indispensable role in shaping Uganda's political history.
