The recognition celebrates its work creating pathways from education and skills development to employment for refugees and underserved young people, through the Refugee and Host Community Youth Empowerment and Transformation Initiative (RETI).
The University received the prize during the Africa Higher Education Transformation Convening held in Accra, Ghana, on September 22, 2026. Muni University was recognised in the Transitions to Employment category alongside four other inaugural laureates: Addis Ababa University of Ethiopia, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) of Burkina Faso, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) of Ghana, and the University of Rwanda.
Through RETI, Muni University and its consortium partners have reached young people with market-oriented skills, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and pathways to dignified and fulfilling work. As of June 2026, the initiative had already skilled 67,347 young people, of whom 40,275 are now employed 25,834 female and 14,441 male, 22,798 refugees and 17,477 from host communities, and 1,098 youth with disabilities.
Receiving the inaugural prize on behalf of Muni University, Vice Chancellor Associate Professor Simon Anguma Katrini said the achievement belonged not to an individual but to the wider Muni University community and its partners.
“This achievement belongs to our young people, our staff and students, our RETI consortium partners, and the government of Uganda.”, he noted.
The Vice Chancellor further expressed gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation for recognising Muni University and for its confidence in the ability of African universities to serve as engines of transformation.
“We want to thank the Mastercard Foundation for this recognition and for believing that African universities can be powerful engines for transformation”, Anguma said.
Reflecting on Muni University's journey, Associate Professor Anguma noted that the University, established in 2013 in Uganda's West Nile region, has a vision of becoming a model university for transformation and development. He emphasised that the University sees knowledge as something that must extend beyond the boundaries of the campus.
“Our university should not be an ivory tower, but rather its knowledge must reach and transform the communities it was created to serve.” he explained.
Associate Professor Anguma Katrini further noted that the award should not be viewed as the end of Muni University's transformation journey, but as a responsibility to deepen and expand its impact.
He said the University's next chapter will focus on institutionalising its “learning to earning” model, strengthening market-responsive education, entrepreneurship and innovation, and generating evidence that can contribute to higher education transformation across Africa.
“Our next chapter is to institutionalize the linking of learning to earning model to strengthen market-responsive education, entrepreneurship and innovation, and generate evidence that can inform higher education transformation across Africa.”Anguma explained.
The Vice Chancellor was accompanied at the convening by Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports, and Associate Professor Clement Okia,the Coordinator of RETI Program Consortium.
The recognition comes as Muni University continues to position higher education as a tool for community transformation, particularly in Uganda's West Nile region, where the University is taking learning beyond the traditional classroom and connecting young people to skills, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities.
The inaugural AHEFT Prize is designed to recognise African higher education institutions that are driving sustained, systemic and institution-wide transformation while expanding opportunities for young people. An independent jury of experts in higher education, research, innovation and industry assessed eligible applications against a published 100-point framework covering areas including transformational impact, relevance to Africa, community engagement, inclusion and access, student experience and collaboration.
The AHEFT Prize is backed by a US$500 million commitment from the Mastercard Foundation over its first decade, with an ambition to recognise and support at least 150 higher education institutions across Africa over the next ten years.
“For twenty years we have seen African institutions rethink what higher education can deliver. The AHEFT Prize turns that proof into momentum: we are backing homegrown excellence with a decade-long commitment, so that universities across the continent become engines of opportunity for millions of young people,” said Sewit Ahderom, President and CEO, Mastercard Foundation.
Each of the five inaugural laureate institutions will receive US$3 million to scale up their transformative work through initiatives agreed upon with the Mastercard Foundation
L-R, Muni University VC, Assoc. Prof. Simon Anguma Katrini; Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, PS, Ministry of Education and Sports; Prof. George Openjuru, VC, Gulu University; and Mr. Adrian Bukenya, Country Representative, Mastercard Foundation..