Makerere University Commemorates Frank Kalimuzo, First VC Abducted Under Amin and Never Found
Makerere University Commemorates Frank Kalimuzo, First VC Abducted Under Amin and Never Found
Makerere University today held its second annual Frank Kalimuzo Memorial Lecture paying tribute to its first Vice Chancellor.
Frank Kalimuzo was abducted way back in September 1972 during the brutal dictatorship of Idi Amin and till now no body has ever seen him again.
Frank Kalimuzo was a well respected academic and public servant who was appointed Vice Chancellor in 1970. During this perid, Frank was known for his intellectual rigor as well as his fearless integrity. His outspoken personality attracted alot of attention from the ruling government and eventually was abducted during former president Idi Amin’s authoritarian rule.
The Ugandan government has till now never released an official statement about his whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
It is believed that Kalimuzo was abducted and murdered by state agents of the State Research Bureau.
He was commitment to truth and his resistance to political interference in university affairs put him at odds of being abducted and mudered by Amin's regime.
Mrs. Esther Kalimuzo, widow of the late Vice Chancellor, confirmed that Frank was not taken for any wrongdoing, but precisely because of what he stood for.
“Frank was not a threat because of weapons, he was a threat because of his conscience, he refused to be compromised, and it therefore cost him his life.” she said
Esther Kalimuzo opposed the idea of honoring the late Frank with only flowers, she urged the Ugandan government to honor Kalimuzo through actions and not merely symbols.
“We cannot remember Frank Kalimuzo simply with flowers and plaques,” she said.
Makerere University held the second annual Frank Kalimuzo Memorial Lecture to honor the legacy of its first Vice Chancellor. He was abducted in 1972 during Idi Amin’s regime and never seen again and its now 53 years since his disappearance.
During the Mak at 100 years celebrations, the university took a historic step by naming a major academic building the Frank Kalimuzo Teaching Facility, a lasting symbol of the values he stood for and a space dedicated to nurturing future leaders in his memory.