Steven Masiga, Mbale City – Makerere University has lost its first university coordinator, Mr. William Wasike, who served in this capacity from the late 1970s until 2001. He was the coordinator for the Mbale Centre and worked alongside academic giants like Magode Ikuya, Professor Kiboma, and Chango Macho, among others.
Besides his role at Makerere, Mr. Wasike was involved in resistance politics and served as an LC II chairman in Mbale Municipal Council during the early 1990s.
The Makerere University Mbale Centre is one of the university’s three official centres, alongside Jinja and Lira, serving the eastern region of Uganda.
“We have lost an academic icon,” stated Hon. Magode Ikuya, the current Minister of State for East African Affairs. Professor Kiboma added that Mr. Wasike served diligently and that Makerere University should accord him official recognition. A view shared by many members of the Mbale University forum, including Engineer Sakwa, Mr. Sakwa Napokoli, and Dr. Wanyakala.
Mr. Wasike is credited with securing land for the Makerere University Institute of Adult and Community Education in Mbale City along Mumias Road to house the university complex. The Makerere University Mbale branch land, located on Mabala Road, is well documented in both Makerere University and Mbale Municipal Council records.
The late Mr. Wasike, who was 86 and hailed from Namisindwa District, will be buried in Bumasaga, Mbale City tomorrow. He served the university with the utmost professionalism and also worked closely with both FRONASA and later as an LC II chairman in the municipal council of Mbale.
While at the university, he was involved in political activism alongside Chango Macho, a staunch supporter of FRONASA, which led to issues with President Amin in the mid-1970s. Chango Macho later left university service to become a minister in Museveni’s government.
According to Professor Kiboma and others like Professor Nabudere, President Museveni was a regular visitor to the centre and knew Mr. Wasike personally.
By press time, the Makerere University leadership had not communicated the university’s plans for the burial program.
