Makerere University, a historically prominent African higher education institution, is striving to achieve international recognition through research, innovation, and global competitiveness. Despite a century-long legacy of producing influential leaders and scholars, the university faces a significant obstacle to these ambitions. A key challenge lies in retaining its academic staff, which threatens to undermine its progress. The university’s goals of internationalisation and research excellence are at risk due to this ongoing issue. Details regarding the specific causes and extent of staff departures were not provided in the initial report. The Observer Media Ltd. first reported on this developing situation.