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Evarist Ngabirano

Evarist Ngabirano

Senior Lecturer

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Dr. Evarist Ngabirano is Senior Lecturer and Head of Humanities department at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mountains of the Moon University in Fort portal, Uganda. He is also a Research Associate at Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), Makerere University. He holds an interdisciplinary MPhil/PhD in Social Studies from Makerere University, a Masters of Religious Studies from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) and a Bachelor of Divinity from Makerere University. His area of concentration in teaching and research is at the intersection of religion, culture and politics. He has over fifteen years of work experience in teaching and research at Mountains of the Moon University where he directed the project to preserve and digitize archives of Toro and Bunyoro sub-regions. He has received several prestigious fellowship awards including University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS), SSRC-Next-generation Social Science in Africa, and African Studies Association (ASA) Presidential fellowship.

  1. PhD in Social Studies (Interdisciplinary: Religion, Culture and Politics)– Makerere Institute of Social Research, Makerere University, 2021. Thesis: Ngabirano E. (2020) “Beyond Ethnic Patriotism: A Comparative Study of Toro and Kigezi Districts in Uganda.” Supervisor: Prof. Mahmood Mamdani. Handle: http://makir.mak.ac.ug/handle/10570/8118
  2. Master of Philosophy in Social Studies (Interdisciplinary)– Makerere University (2018);
  3. Master of Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion – KU Leuven (2007);
  4. Master of Religious Studies – KU Leuven (2006);
  5. Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) – Makerere University (2005);
  6. Bachelor of Divinity (Second Class Upper) – Makerere University (2003);
  7. Bachelor of Sacred Theology – Pontifical Urban University (2003);
  8. Bachelor of Philosophy – Pontifical Urban University (1998).
  1. Ngabirano, E. (2026). Beyond Ethnic Patriotism: A Comparative Study of Uganda’s ‘Derivative’ and ‘Dialectical’ Responses in Rwenzori and Kigezi Regions. Kampala: Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR).
  2. The Uganda Past and Future Team. (2025). Reinventing Uganda: Political Imagination and Social Change after the Fall of Idi Amin (1979–1980). Paris and Kampala: Africae Studies and Makerere University Press.
  3. Ngabirano, E. et al. (2025). Attempting to Remake Uganda’s Politics: “The Gang of Four” and the NCC. In Reinventing Uganda: Political Imagination and Social Change after the Fall of Idi Amin (1979–1980), pp. 41–57. Paris and Kampala: Africae and Makerere University Press.
  4. Ngabirano, E. (2024). Beyond Ethnicity: Reflections on the History and Politics of Violence in Uganda. In The Palgrave Handbook of Violence in Africa, pp. 601–617. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
  5. Ngabirano, E. (2024). “Nationalism and Pandemics: Of Colonial Governmentality and COVID-19 Response Measures in Uganda.” In Decolonization Pathways: Coloniality and Africa Responses to COVID-19, pp. 235–251. Kampala: Uganda Martyrs University Press.
  6. Ngabirano, E. (2022). Beyond Local Government Reforms: A Case Study of Toro and Kigezi District Politics of Postcolonial Uganda. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 28(2), 165–185.
  7. Ngabirano, E. (2022). Beyond Ethnic Patriotism: A Case Study of the Intellectual and Political History of Toro and Kigezi Districts in Uganda. MISR Review, No. 5, 12–44.
  8. Ngabirano, E. (2021). Beyond Ethnic Patriotism: Paulo Ngologoza, Politics of Geography and the Making of Residence-Based Identity in Uganda. East African Journal of Peace and Human Rights, 27(1), 59–84.
  9. Ngabirano, E. (2008). The Environment in Uganda: An Ethical and Theological Assessment of the Conservation-Preservation Controversy. Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag.
  • Principal Investigator (PI), (2026-2027), Research and Innovation Fund (RIF III) Project on “Thinking through Toro’s Tea Industry: Past, Present and Future”, a multidisciplinary research project involving faculty from Humanities and Social Sciences and Agriculture, Tourism and Environmental Sciences.
  • Team Member. (2024–Present). Strengthening Smallholder Farmer Resilience to Climate Change through Joint Learning, Development and Evaluation of Contextualized Solutions (SFR2CC). Budget: €350,000. PI: Viola Kisakye. Focused on climate resilience and development of an interdisciplinary MSc in Water Resources Management at Mountains of the Moon University.
  • Research Grantee. (2023–Present). Colonial Roots of Identity Politics and a New Methodology of Decolonizing University Disciplines. Mellon Project on Decolonization of University Disciplines. Supervised by Prof. Mahmood Mamdani. Grant: USD 16,000.
  • Research Team Member. (2022–Present). Uganda Past, Uganda Futures: Debates over Government, Equality and Justice, 1979–1980. Collaborative project with Arts and Humanities Research Council and the University of Durham, UK. Grant: €65,000.
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow. (2021–2022). Makerere Institute of Social Research, Makerere University. Research Fellowship Grant: USD 25,000.
  • African Studies Association Presidential Fellow. (2019). Fellowship to participate in the African Studies Association Annual Meeting, Boston, USA.
  • Dissertation Completion Fellow. (2018–2019). Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Program. Social Science Research Council (SSRC). Grant: USD 10,000.
  • Dissertation Research Fellow. (2017–2018). Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Program. Social Science Research Council (SSRC). Grant: USD 15,000.
  • Dissertation Proposal Development Fellow. (2016–2017). Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Program. Social Science Research Council (SSRC). Grant: USD 3,000.
  • Project Leader. (2016–2017). Digitization and Preservation of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Portal Archives. Funded by the University of Notre Dame under Prof. Paul Ocobock. Grant: USD 31,000.
  • Research Grantee. (2015–2016). Ethnicity, Religion and the Quest for Justice in the Rwenzori Region. Long Vacation Research Grant, Makerere Institute of Social Research. Supervised by Prof. Mahmood Mamdani. Grant: USD 6,000.
  • Visiting Scholar. (2013–2014). University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars Program (UMAPS), African Studies Center, University of Michigan. Mentored by Prof. Derek Peterson.
  • Project Leader. (2011–2014). Preservation of the Archives of Kabarole District, Tooro Kingdom and Hoima District Local Government. Funded by the Center for Research Libraries (CRL)/Cooperative Africana Materials Project (CAMP). Grant: USD 105,000.
  • Research Grantee. (2012). Expert Seminar on Cultural Pluralism, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development. Funded by the Cosmopolis Institute, University of Humanistics, Netherlands, in collaboration with Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda. Grant: USD 4,000.
  • Project Leader. (2010–2011). Preserve and Digitize the Kabarole District Archives at Mountains of the Moon University. Funded by the University of Michigan African Studies Center. Grant: USD 12,000.
  • Project Grantee. (2010). Mountains of the Moon University Museum. Funded by Obumu (England) and Kwataniza (Netherlands). Grant: USD 2,000.

Theresa Auma Odur – PhD in Social Studies, Makerere University. Thesis: “Centralization of Power in the Customary Resistance to Land Market Expansion in the Lango Region of Uganda.” Graduated (2023).

Rebecca Wembabazi – MPhil/PhD in Social Studies, Makerere University. Thesis: “Invisible Labour: Intersections of Gendered Reproductive Labor, Capitalism and Colonial Legacies in Neoliberal Societies of the Global South (Uganda).” Graduated (2024).

Eunice Kajobe – Master of Public Administration and Management (MPAM), Mountains of the Moon University. Thesis: “The Role of Integrated Revenue Administration System (IRAS) in Improving Local Revenue Collection in Fort Portal City.” Graduated (2024).

Agnes Kugonza – Master of Public Administration and Management (MPAM), Mountains of the Moon University. Thesis: “The Effect of Economic Factors on Women’s Participation in Political Leadership in Kicwamba Sub-county Local Government, Kabarole District.” Graduated (2024).

Susan Kabahuma – Master of Public Administration and Management (MPAM), Mountains of the Moon University. Thesis: “Assessing Sponsorship Approaches by Compassion International in Kabarole District, Uganda.” Graduated (2024).

Phiona Kukunda – Master of Public Administration and Management (MPAM), Mountains of the Moon University. Thesis: “Examining Human Settlement Patterns in Relation to Hygiene Practices in Fort Portal Tourism City: A Case Study of Central Division.” Graduated (2025).

Tom Busobozi – Master of Public Administration and Management (MPAM), Mountains of the Moon University. Thesis: “Manifestations of Ethnic Tensions and Their Influences on Peace and Stability in the 2016 and 2021 Local Council Elections: A Case Study of Kyakatwire Town Council, Kyenjojo District.” Graduated (2025).

Conferences and Workshops

• Presenter – Decolonization Workshop, Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), Makerere University, Kampala. Presented a paper titled “Religion and Violence in Kigezi Region: The Decolonization Perspective” (2026).

• Presenter – Archive Memory and Method from the Global South (AMM 2024) International Conference, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Makerere University. Presented a paper on “History and Politics of Archive Preservation in Uganda: A Case Study of Mountains of the Moon University Project to Preserve Local Government Archives” (2024).

• Panel Member – European Conference on African Studies (ECAS), University of Cologne, Germany (2023).

• Participant – Writing Workshop on Governance, Conflict Resolution and Climate Change, Merian Institute of Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), University of Ghana, Accra (2022).

• Presenter – British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA) Annual Conference. Presented a paper on “The Elite Authority and the 1979–1980 Debates over Government in Uganda” (2021).

• Presenter – Mellon History Institute. Presented a paper on “Beyond Religion and Ethnic Patriotism: A Case Study of the Intellectual and Political History of Toro and Kigezi Districts in Uganda” (2021).

• Presenter – ASA Presidential Fellow Lecture, Kellogg Institute’s Africa Working Group, University of Notre Dame, USA. Presented a paper on “Beyond Religion and Ethnic Patriotism: Paulo Ngologoza, Geography, and the Making of Ugandan Politics” (2019).

• Presenter – African Studies Review Pipeline for Emerging Scholars Workshop, Boston, USA. Presented a paper on “Isaya Mukirane and the Making of Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu out of Toro, Mid-Western Uganda” (2019).

• Presenter – ASA Presidential Fellow Panel Presentation, Boston, USA. Presented a paper on “The Postcolonial Politics of Toro and Kigezi Districts in Uganda” (2019).

• Presenter – College of Humanities and Social Sciences Symposium, Makerere University. Presented a paper on “The Politics of Postcolonial Tribalism in Toro and Kigezi in Uganda” (2019).

• Participant – Academic and Professional Program Assessment Workshop, National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), Kampala (2019).

• Participant – SSRC Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Workshops on Dissertation Completion, Research, and Proposal Development, held in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria (2016–2019).

• Presenter – Makerere Institute of Social Research Graduate Seminar and Department of History Seminar, Makerere University. Presented research on Kigezi, Toro, colonialism, and state formation (2018–2019).

• Participant – East African Symposium on Managing Diversity in East Africa, Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU), Kampala (2014).

• Organizer – 2nd Expert Seminar on Cultural Pluralism, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Mountains of the Moon University, Fort Portal (2012).

• Participant – Politics of Heritage in Africa Conference, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (2011).

• Participant – International Summer School on Human Development and Human Rights, University of the Free State, South Africa (2011).

• Participant – Culture in Development Seminar, Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda, Jinja (2009–2010).

• Participant – Project Management, Governance and Accountability Training, Kimmage Development Studies Centre, Ireland (2010).

• Participant – Participatory Rural Appraisal Techniques and Applications Workshop, Kibale and Semuliki Conservation and Development Project (KSCDP), Kabarole (1995).

• Participant – Environment and Development Seminar, Africa 2000 Network/UNDP, Fort Portal (1993).

• Participant – Change Agent Training on Self-Reliance and Participatory Rural Development Facilitation, Uganda Change Agent Association, Fort Portal (1993).

Professional Leadership and Affiliations

• Head, Department of Humanities, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mountains of the Moon University (2024–Present).

• Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Member of University Senate and Cost Centre Manager, Mountains of the Moon University (2022–2024).

• Associate Research Fellow and Board Member, Makerere Institute of Social Research (2021–Present).

• Programme Assessor, National Council for Higher Education (2019–Present).

• Member, University Senate and Secretary, Senate Standing Committee on Examination Irregularities, Mountains of the Moon University (2013–Present).

• African Affiliate Member Representative, Cooperative Africana Materials Project/Center for Research Libraries (2012).

• Chair, Discipline Committee, School of Education, Mountains of the Moon University (2011).

• Member, Research and Publications Committee, School of Education, Mountains of the Moon University (2011).

• Dean of Students, Mountains of the Moon University, Fort Portal (2011–2012).

• Chair, Curriculum Committee for Academic Programmes, Centre for African Development Studies, Mountains of the Moon University (2010).

• Project Leader, Archive and Museum Projects, Centre for African Development Studies, Mountains of the Moon University (2010).