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Celebrated Makerere academic, James Ntozi succumbs to cancer
James Patrick Manyenye Ntozi, a retired and highly celebrated professor of population studies at Makerere University has died
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James Patrick Manyenye Ntozi, a retired and highly celebrated professor of population studies at Makerere University has died.
His son, Arthur Ntozi, said the professor died Wednesday afternoon. He had been diagnosed with stage four cancer in March and has since been receiving treatment from the Uganda Cancer Institute in Mulago.
Born in 1945, Ntozi joined Makerere academic staff as a teaching assistant in 1971 rising through ranks until he was granted full professorship in 1992. According to information obtained from the university website, Prof Ntozi significantly contributed to the evolution of demography and population studies including mobilization of resources from bodies such as Rockefeller Foundation, World Bank, IDRC, and National Population Council among others.
In addition, he served as Head of Department, Dean, and Director of the Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics plus being a member of the senate. After his retirement, he continued to serve on different boards of the university and committees.
Dr Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi, the chairperson of Makerere University Academic Staff Association noted that Ntozi gave the university all he could.
“He defended the creation of departments of statistics and population studies during his 30-year service as a senator. In his last days at the university, he advocated for university retirees benefits and pensions as chairperson of the Makerere University Pensioners Association,” Dr Kamunyu said.
The academician accumulated experience in conducting evaluation, needs assessment and baseline studies, at international and national levels in developing countries. His works were mainly on HIV/AIDS in Africa, Fertility, censuses and ageing issues and ageing and the Life Course.
During one of his last public appearances at Makerere in 2017, he noted that he chose to remain at his alma mater despite many temptations in form of greener pastures at regional and international levels.
“I did not abandon Makerere University,” he proudly stated as scholars from the field of Demography and Population Studies were presenting a scholarly tribute to him; celebrating his 45 years of dedicated and distinguished service in the field of demography at Makerere, Uganda, Africa, and beyond.
Biography
Professor Ntozi was born on July 25, 1945to Anansio Manyenye and Ruth Ndangwa in Mbarara District. He went to Mbarara Junior for his primary before joining Bishop Stuart Secondary school and later Busoga College, Mwiri. He joined Makerere in June 1968 as an undergraduate student pursuing Bachelor of Science (Economics and Statistics)-Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics completing his studies in March 1971.
He registered for a Masters in the same Institute in September 1971 and completed it in July 1973. In 1977 he completed a PhD in Medical Demography from the University of London. He taught at the University of Nairobi between 1977 and 1979 before returning to Makerere.
