‘Erase This Abomination’, US-Based Lawyer Makau Mutua Says over William Ruto Leadership Institute

US-based Kenyan scholar and lawyer Prof. Makau Mutua has criticized the decision by Uganda’s Makerere University to set up William Ruto Institute of African and Leadership Studies in honor of Kenya's Deputy President.

Taking to Twitter, Prof. Mutua described the move as “the most absurd and utterly inconceivable blunder in the history of higher education in Africa.”

“A William Ruto Leadership Institute @MakerereU is the most absurd and utterly inconceivable blunder in the history of higher education in Africa,” wrote Mutua.

He added: “Today @MakerereU  is the laughing stock of the world.  I expect students, faculty, and staff to quickly erase this abomination.  Now!”

The institute’s goals are to among others; develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning about Africa and enhancing and enriching intellectual and cultural life, according to a brief on the university’s website. It will also be used to strengthen relationships between academic and indigenous intellectuals as the basis for reclaiming indigenous knowledge and integrate this into local communities.

“Makerere University has been requested by the Office of the President of the Republic of Uganda to host the William Ruto Leadership Institute with laying the foundation stone scheduled for December 21, 2019, by HE the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya,” read a letter by Makerere University.

Speaking when he held a meeting with DP Ruto at Mubende State Lodge, Kampala on Saturday, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni pledged to give $100,000 towards the construction of the institute.

“This institute would go a long way in Africans deepening their knowledge base and furthering research that would transform Africa,” said Museveni.

“If we can invest in our institutions, we can come up with solid policies that would shape our development agenda.”

DP Ruto laid a foundation stone for the institute at the university’s main campus in Kampala on Saturday. There have been questions over what DP Ruto has done for East Africa and Africa to deserve such an honor by one of the most prestigious universities in the continent.