The newly appointed Deputy Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire assumed office on Tuesday, 15th August, 2017. She takes on from 
Prof. Abasi Kiyimba who has held the position for the last four years. Appointed on 1st August 2017, Assoc. Prof. Ahikire will hold the position for the next four years and will, among other things, be responsible for coordinating and managing academic programmes in the College.
At the handover ceremony held at Guest House, Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire expressed commitment to promoting diversity and excellence in the College. She pledged to promote research through college-wide projects and dissemination seminars. She expressed gratitude to the Principal and her predecessor for the ‘key role’ they have played in mentoring her. She specifically appreciated the outgoing Deputy Principal for putting in place an efficient system for managing graduate programmes.
In his remarks, the outgoing Deputy Principal appreciated the support rendered to him during his term of office. "I take this opportunity to thank all 
staff especially the Principal for the cordial working environment that has enabled me to perform my duties effectively. I leave the office a happy person due to the many accomplishments that have positively impacted people’s lives. As I go back to my mother Unit, the Department of Literature, I pledge to continue supporting all programmes of the College,” he said. As Deputy Principal of CHUSS, Prof. Kiyimba has registered a number of achievements including streamlining the management of graduate programmes that has led to an increase in completion rates, and supporting several students to acquire scholarships for further studies.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Principal of CHUSS, Prof. Edward K. Kirumira, congratulated Assoc. Prof. Ahikire upon her appointment and thanked Prof. Kiyimba for his selfless service during his tenure as Deputy Principal. He described the new Deputy Principal as an accomplished academic with a wealth of local and international experience that will greatly contribute to the improvement of CHUSS programmes. Highlighting the achievements of the College, Prof. Kirumira emphasized the importance of 
college-wide projects and commended Prof. Peter Atekyereza for spearheading the revival of MAWAZO, a journal of CHUSS.
The handover ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Benson Barigye, Ag. Internal Auditor, and Mr. Sanyu Lawrence from the Directorate of Human Resources who implored staff to always make succession plans for effective continuity of programmes.
Delivering closing remarks, the Dean, School of Liberal and Performing Arts, Assoc. Prof. Patrick Mangeni, appreciated the Principal and the incoming and outgoing Deputy Principal for their diligent service and commitment to uplifting the image of CHUSS. He called for teamwork in the implementation of college programmes.
During the ceremony, the Principal handed appreciation awards to the outgoing and incoming deputy principal. He also handed awards to the retired members of staff in appreciation of their outstanding service and contribution to the development of their Units at Makerere University. Prof. Sabiti Makara received a certificate of recognition for being voted by students as the best lecturer in the Academic Years 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 in 
a survey conducted by the Directorate of Quality Assurance.
About Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire
Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire has been the Dean of the School of Women and Gender Studies at Makerere University. She is an Associate Professor of Gender Studies and the Executive Chair, Centre for Basic Research (CBR), a leading research centre in Kampala which has over the years conducted cutting edge research and nurtured many intellectuals in Uganda and beyond. She has over the years worked in the area of feminist political theory and has extensively published works on women and politics, labour and urban culture. She has led various research teams on gender and land, elections, women and parliamentary performance, gender and the politics of access and many other areas connected with livelihood and social justice. She is an active member of the Uganda Women’s Movement and is also member of regional bodies such as Council for Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) and African Gender Institute (AGI) University of Cape Town.