President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed Dr. Crispus Kiyonga as the new Chancellor of Makerere University.

Professor Barnabas Nawangwe the Vice Chancellor, Makerere University confirmed his appointment on X.

“His Excellency the President of Uganda has appointed Dr. Crispus Kiyonga as the new Chancellor of Makerere University. On behalf of Makerere University Council, I extend our warm congratulations to Dr. Kiyonga on this prestigious appointment and warmly welcome him to the service of Makerere University,” said Nawangwe.

Dr Kiyonga comes with vast experience after having been elected as the only UPM MP in 1980, he declined to take up his seat and preferred to join the NRM
where he was part of its external wing
based in Nairobi.

He came back in 1985 and was made
an activist and commissioner in the
liberated areas. By this time the NRA
had divided the country into two and
Kiyonga was based in Fort Portal.

When the NRM came to power in 1980,
Kiyonga became the first Minister for
Co-operatives and Marketing. Faced
with crises, the ministry was able to sell
two and a half million bags of coffee
and raised over $400m.
In the same year, he was made the
Minister of Finance and the Uganda
Revenue Authority is among his key
innovations.
Working under difficult circumstances,
Kiyonga was able to set pace for
privatisation and the policies at the
ministry were national-oriented with
emphasis on industrialisation.

It was during his era that there was
devaluation of the Uganda shilling.
In 1992, Kiyonga went out of Cabinet,
but remained a firm Movement
supporter and a member of the
National Resistance Council (NRC).

He became a consultant with the World
Bank and the African Development
Bank in the area of Environment in
Africa and Sustainable Development.
In 1994 he campaigned for the
Constituent Assembly elections to
represent the people of Kasese and
was a very instrumental figure in the
constitutional making process.

In November 1994, he was appointed
minister of internal affairs.

The 1996 elections saw him join the
health ministry where he served till
2001. While at the ministry, he changed
the face of the health sector and the
ministry was able to manage disasters
like containing the ebola virus and
cholera.

While still at the Ministry of Health,
Kiyonga became the Chairman of the
Global Fund and he left the ministry
Scandal free.

In show of trust, President Museveni
appointed him in October 2003 to chair
talk with the opposition with a view of
getting a national consensus on key
political issues.
Fact File
1952 – Born in Kasese
1959-1966 – Attended Bwera Primary
School
1966-1970 – Nyakasura
1970-1972 – Kings College, Budo
1970-1972
1973-1978 – Makerere University.
Holds a bachelors degree in medicine
and surgery. Holds a masters in Health
Science from John Hopkins School of
Public Health Hygiene

1986 – Minister for Cooperatives and
Marketing.
1986-92- Minister for Finance
1994 – CA delegate, and Consultant
with the World Bank and the African
Development Bank
1994-96 – Minister of Internal Affairs
1996-2001 – Minister of Health,
chairman Global Fund
2001- National Political Commissar and
Minister without portfolio
He was also minister for defence and Ugandan ambassador to China.Additional reporting by the new vision.