Reignite Prof. Dranzoa’s Vision, FAWE Director Urges West Nile

ARUA: The Executive Director of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Africa, Dr. Martha Muhwezi, has urged the people of West Nile to reignite the vision and passion of the late Prof. Christine Dranzoa, the founding Vice Chancellor of Muni University.

Dr. Muhwezi made the appeal while delivering the keynote address as guest of honour at the third Prof. Christine Dranzoa Memorial Lecture held at Muni University on Friday, November 28, 2025.

Organised by Muni University in partnership with FAWE and the West Nile Development Agenda (WENDA), the lecture was held under the theme: “Improving Educational Performance in the West Nile Region.”

Dr. Muhwezi described Prof. Dranzoa as more than an academic, but a trailblazer, mentor, and tireless advocate for the underserved.

“It is both a privilege and an honour to stand before you today as we mark the third Prof. Christine Dranzoa Memorial Lecture. We are not only here to reflect on the life and legacy of an extraordinary woman, but also to reignite the vision and passion she carried.

Her vision was about excellence in everything we do, inclusivity in all our plans, and above all,  high-quality, high-performing education for Uganda, and especially for the West Nile region,” Dr. Muhwezi said.

She emphasized that Prof. Dranzoa uniquely combined academic excellence with deep social commitment, adding that Muni University must position itself not merely as an academic institution but as a regional engine for educational equity and innovation.

“Because of its proximity to the challenges facing West Nile, Muni University has both a unique responsibility and a unique opportunity to lead transformative change, delivering education to every child in this region without discrimination or favouritism,” she stressed.

Dr. Muhwezi called for stronger partnerships between the university, government, civil society, and development partners to tackle infrastructure deficits, teacher training gaps, and gender inequalities in education across West Nile.

Tributes from university leadership

The Vice Chancellor of Muni University, Assoc. Prof. Simon Katrini Anguma, hailed his predecessor as a passionate researcher with an unwavering commitment to girl-child education.

“Prof. Dranzoa was incorruptible, honest, and always ready to help the most vulnerable. She started Muni University from scratch and sacrificed immensely to ensure it took off,”  Anguma said.

He announced that the University Council had resolved in 2022 to erect an effigy in her memory on campus (to be unveiled next year), establish the Prof. Christine Dranzoa Education Trust Fund to sponsor brilliant but needy girls (already registered with a bank account open for contributions), and name the university’s largest building after her.

Management has also tasked the Communications Department with compiling a comprehensive atlas documenting her life and achievements.

The University Council Chairperson, Eng. Joel Aita, delivered a fiery tribute, saying Prof. Dranzoa built Muni University “with bare hands and unbreakable will” to break the monopoly of mediocrity and entrench excellence in West Nile.

“She warned us, we clapped, then went back to sleep. Today I echo her warning: if we don’t act now, we will not bury one child, ten children, or a hundred, we will bury an entire generation and the soul of West Nile with it. Enough sleeping, enough excuses, enough tears while we kill the living,” Eng. Aita declared.

He urged the region to declare a “West Nile Takazo Revolution” starting that very day, with Muni University as its epicentre.

Family’s commitment

Speaking on behalf of the family, Ms Sally Arizuyo said Prof. Dranzoa broke barriers and redefined educational leadership as Uganda’s first female Vice Chancellor of a public university.

“Her leadership was never about titles; it was about transformation. She believed education is the most powerful tool for change, especially in West Nile,” Ms Arizuyo said.

She revealed that the family, through the Prof. Christine Dranzoa Foundation, has already established a kindergarten and daycare school in Moyo Town to provide quality early childhood education in line with the late professor’s values of excellence, empowerment, and equity.

The memorial lecture began with a solidarity march from Arua City centre to Muni University campus and attracted students, staff, political and technical leaders, family members, security personnel, and guests from across West Nile and beyond.

Prof. Christine Dranzoa died on June 28, 2022, at Mulago National Referral Hospital after a short illness.