Kasule Douglas Benda
Dr. Lillian Mbabazi has achieved a major academic milestone after her PhD thesis, “Storytelling among the Bakiga of Uganda: Changing Form, Applications, and Performance Contexts, 1930–2009,” was selected for the African Studies Review (ASR) Best African-based PhD Dissertation Award.
The recognition celebrates outstanding doctoral research that demonstrates intellectual engagement with Africa and contributes meaningfully to the understanding of the continent. For Dr. Mbabazi, the award carries an even deeper significance as part of the broader effort to decolonize the global knowledge economy and ensure African knowledge, histories and cultural practices receive the recognition they deserve.
Her award will be presented at the 69th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, in December 2026.
Dr. Mbabazi’s research examines the evolution of storytelling among the Bakiga of Uganda, exploring how its forms, applications and performance contexts changed between 1930 and 2009. The work places indigenous storytelling at the centre of academic inquiry while documenting its cultural, social and performative significance.
In celebrating the achievement, Dr. Mbabazi described the recognition as a shared win, acknowledging the many people who contributed to her academic journey. She expressed gratitude to her research participants, mentors, colleagues, teachers, doctoral supervisors Assoc. Prof. Patrick Mangeni and Dr. Pamela Khanakwa, as well as her doctoral committee and examiners.
She also recognised the support of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) leadership, which administered the Gerda Henkel Fellowship that funded her PhD studies, and the Makerere University Gerda Coordination Team led by Assoc. Prof. Edgar Nabutanyi and Dr. Levis Mugumya.
Her appreciation extended to fellow Gerda Fellows, her former students and the many people she has mentored and worked with throughout her career.
For a scholar whose work is deeply rooted in African performance, culture and storytelling, the ASR recognition is not simply a personal achievement. It is also a celebration of Ugandan scholarship, indigenous knowledge and the power of African stories to shape global academic conversations.
Dr. Mbabazi’s milestone stands as an inspiration to emerging scholars and creatives committed to researching, preserving and amplifying African knowledge.
Congratulations to Dr. Lillian Mbabazi on this remarkable achievement. A win for her, a win for Ugandan scholarship, and a win for African knowledge.
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