Uganda's Museveni forced Ruto's birthday gift on Makerere University

Starting last week when rumors that Makerere University would be honoring Deputy President William Ruto with an Institute dedicated to him, many Kenyans took to social media firstly on two trends. The first trend believed this could not possibly be true and that as had been typical of Ruto’s communication team, this could have been another PR stunt.

Makerere University would later confirm on social media and update the world about the event. This brings in the second trend, how can it possibly be true?

H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto is set to lay the Foundation Stone for the William Ruto Institute of African and Leadership Studies at Makerere, on this day which is also his Birthday.

Happy Birthday @WilliamsRuto.
— Makerere University (@MakerereU) December 21, 2019

Museveni personally attended the event, spent a lot of time with the Ruto and pledged a $100,000 donation towards the construction of what would be The William Ruto Institute of African and Leadership Studies .

Everyone weighed in and as probably the communication team had hoped, the DP was trending but not as they had hoped he would.

A William Ruto Leadership Institute @MakerereU is the most absurd and utterly inconceivable blunder in the history of higher education in Africa. Today @MakerereU is the laughing stock of the world. I expect students, faculty, and staff to quickly erase this abomination. Now!
— Prof Makau Mutua (@makaumutua) December 22, 2019

I WILL not be as blatant as the others but anyone calling any institution, "William Ruto Leadership Institute" is just a joker. Iam sure even TangaTanga are shocked by the level to which Makerere can take the joke.
— wahome thuku (@wahomethuku) December 21, 2019

Some cheered this move by the ‘university’.

One of the greatest universities in East Africa, Makerere University, honored William Ruto by naming an institute of African Leadership Studies after him 😎. We need to respect this gentleman more here at home✌. pic.twitter.com/ZroVhl0j4E
— Thuo Kimani Githuku (@thuogithuku) December 21, 2019

Handshake supporters, come slowly please. Najua inauma but inabidi mzoee. Hapa ni Makerere University na jina ni moja tu, la William Ruto. Hakuna Raila ama Uhuru. Congratulations his Excellency pic.twitter.com/62cjxpzgzK
— Eric Kobia (@RoyalRiqs) December 21, 2019

Well, after the dust settled, it is now emerging that this ‘PR’ stunt might have come at a costly political loss on both President Museveni and DP William Ruto.

According to reports, President Museveni bulldozed the University with no notice prior to organize for the event. The decision was so absurd that University lecturers protested to the move, not only claiming there would more more deserving Ugandans for such an honor to being as direct as saying “Ruto is not the kind of leader we should be hosting.”

Even to President Museveni, it was a political move that carried an immense amount of political risk. One would assume he would have chosen such an honor for himself considering how he needs to connect to the youth of his own country. Ironically, the same spot that has been given to Ruto at the University was also given to President Kibaki for a Kibaki Presidential Library back in the days. The construction just did not start.

With DP Ruto having a track record of more promised Stadiums than any delivered, and considering a Presidential Library has been scrapped for a William Ruto institute, one wonders if both Ruto and Museveni will see the project through. One would bank on the University Senate, Board and lecturers resisting the move all the way.