education 1 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Makerere University Raises Cut-Off Points Amid Admission Crunch and Student Protests
Makerere University has significantly increased cut-off points for competitive programs like Medicine and Surgery to 54.1 for females and 54.4 for males due to heightened competition from improved student performance, sparking complaints from parents and students despite the process being merit-based. Academic Registrar Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza defends the fairness, highlighting the role of both O-Level and A-Level results in selections. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/cut-off-points-hiked-as-makerere-university-faces-admission-crisis-5442968
Makerere University is experiencing an influx of complaints from parents and students upset over missing government-sponsored admissions, even with strong grades. The university’s Academic Registrar, Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza, maintains that the process was entirely fair and merit-driven, with no system errors involved.
Cut-off points have surged this year due to better overall academic results, especially in sciences like biology, making competition fiercer for limited slots. For top programs such as Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, females now need 54.1 points and males 54.4—demanding near-perfect scores across O- and A-Levels.
Prof. Buyinza explained that even students with triple A’s at A-Level miss out if their O-Level grades include any weaknesses, like a D2 or C. This holistic evaluation assesses the full academic record, not just final exams.
Government sponsorship remains fixed at around 4,000 slots nationwide, with Makerere receiving about 1,672. Amid Uganda’s 45 million population and rising qualified applicants, Prof. Buyinza calls for more opportunities.
The joint admission process across 10 public universities sifted from the top 10,000 candidates. Some complaints stem from mismatched course choices, as students pursue oversubscribed science programs despite weaker backgrounds.
Source: Daily Monitor