The Makerere University Centennial Poetry Competition

Introduction

Established in 1922, Makerere in the year 2022 will celebrate 100 years of existence. To celebrate this, the Department of Literature, Makerere University sought poetry entries for a competition entitled The Makerere University Centennial Poetry Competition. The entries aimed at showing how far Makerere University has come, and its place in teaching, research and community outreach. They also explored the uniqueness of the University, drawing on its history and current state, and show how an interaction between the academy and the community it serves can be fostered for the next a hundred years of Makerere University’s existence.

In light of the above, the judges of The Makerere University Centennial Poetry Competition received a total of 35 poems. From these, there was a selection of 15 poems that have made it to the longlist of the winning poems. These are presented below in no particular order.

Longlist of Winning Poems

1. A Hundred Years of Makerere
2. River Makerere
3. Hundred Years of Makerere
4. Your Music Shall Flow On
5. The Ivory Tower
6. The Hill of Endless Possibilities
7. These Ivory Hearts
8. The Inexhaustible Goldmine
9. Ray of Hope
10. A Long Time Coming
11. The Grand Pot
12. The Hill Makerere
13. Through the Years and Over, Eh Makerere Oyee
14. The Ivory Tower
15. A Century Young

We would like to thank everyone that participated in this poetry competition. They have given us reason to keep Makerere at the heart of our existence, shining the light for us in the next 100 years of its existence.

These poems will move on to the next stage of the competition where a shortlist of the five (5) top poems shall be selected.

We wish all the participants the best of luck.

For any inquiries, please contact:

Isaac Tibasiima

Department of Literature

Makerere University

isaac.tibasiima@mak.ac.ug