Former President of Tanzania, H.E Benjamin Mkapa has been lined up to be the chief guest at the Makerere University Kampala (MU) Convocation re-union of all the alumni.

This was revealed by Prof. Venancious Baryamureeba, the in-coming Vice Chancellor of the university. Baryamureeba said that the re-union will commence on the 27th of November 2009 and be capped with a grand dinner at the University's freedom square the next day.

The re-union will bring together all former students and staff of the university and Mkapa is one of the most prominent former students of the university when it was still an East African University college.

Ecobank, Africa's pan-African bank has come forward to sponsor the dinner gala to a tune of $15,000 as the university grapples with transformation.

This is in appreciation of the role the institution has played in cementing the EAC relationship way back in time.

According to Baryamureeba, the university will engage its alumni on how they can support the institution to realize its greatest potential.

According to Dele Alabi, the MD of Ecobank, this $15,000 support is in recognition of the big role Makerere University has played in shaping the development of not only Uganda but Africa as a whole which is in line with bank's vision as the pan-African bank.

Mkapa will be hosted by the President of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Museveni during the dinner where the University expects its alumni to make generous contribution towards the construction of a high rise convocation tower, restock the library and give the university hospital a face lift. At the function, Mkapa will deliver a key note speech on role of the academia in shaping a country's governance and socio-economic development and lead the fundraising drive.

Expected in attendances are at least 3000 alumni from Uganda and abroad.