This archive report was first published on 25 December 2019.
On December 21, 2019, Uganda's Makerere University laid the foundation stone for the William Ruto Institute of African and Leadership Studies, a move that has been met with criticism from US-based scholar and lawyer Prof. Makau Mutua.
Prof. Mutua described the decision as 'the most absurd and utterly inconceivable blunder in the history of higher education in Africa.'
He expressed his disappointment on Twitter, urging students, faculty, and staff to 'quickly erase this abomination.'
The institute aims to develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning about Africa, enhance intellectual and cultural life, and strengthen relationships between academic and indigenous intellectuals.
Uganda President Yoweri Museveni pledged to give $100,000 towards the construction of the institute, stating that it would 'go a long way in Africans deepening their knowledge base and furthering research that would transform Africa.'
However, Prof. Mutua's criticism has raised questions about the suitability of the institute's namesake, Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto, who has been at the center of controversy in East Africa.
