Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) is a leading institution of higher education in Uganda, established in October 1989. It began within the repurposed Mbarara District Hospital’s School of Midwifery and was formally founded through the Mbarara University of Science and Technology Statute 1989, enacted by the National Resistance Council. MUST was created during a period of economic and social challenges, reflecting the government’s recognition of higher education, particularly in science and technology, as a driver of national development.

The university’s journey started under the leadership of its first Vice Chancellor, Professor Frederick Ian Bantubano Kayanja, with the Faculty of Medicine admitting its first cohort of 43 MBChB students in collaboration with Cuban professors. Over the years, MUST expanded to include the Faculties of Science, Development Studies, and the Institutes of Computer Science and Tropical Forest Conservation. By January 2012, the student population had grown to 3,508, demonstrating steady growth in academic offerings and enrolment.

A major milestone was the inauguration of the Kihumuro campus in May 2012, which now hosts the Faculties of Computing and Informatics and Applied Sciences and Technology. Under the leadership of successive Vice Chancellors, including Professor Celestino Obua, MUST strengthened research, partnerships, and academic excellence. In a historic appointment on August 2, 2024, Professor Pauline Byakika Kibwika became the university’s third Vice Chancellor and the first female to lead MUST, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s ongoing evolution and commitment to innovation, quality education, and national development.