James P. M. Ntozi, a professor of population studies at Makerere University has died, confirms the University’s academic staff association Chairman, Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi.
“Its with great sorrow to announce the passing on of our former decorated member and Professor of Population Studies Prof. James P. M. Ntozi,” announces Muhwezi.
Ntozi died on Wednesday ftom at Mulago Hospital. The cause of his death was not made public by press time.
Ntozi was born July 25, 1946 in Kashari County, Rwobynje in Mbarara district, western Uganda. In 1975, he married Dr. Ida Ntozi with whom they have children together.
The university has organized an academic salutation for the deceased which will take place during the requiem service at St. Francis Chapel Makerere University starting at 11:00PM tomorrow 20/05/2021, according to Muhwezi.
“Professor Ntozi joined MUASA Fraternity in 1971 as a Teaching Assistant and was granted full Professorship in 1992. He gave his inaugural lecture three years later on HIV/AIDS in 1995.”
“Giving an inaugural lecture three years after promotion to full professorship was a rare achievement then that only academicians of Professor Ntozi quality could do at the time,” says Muhwezi who described the deceased as “a great man.”
Prof Ntozi attended Mbarara Junior High and High School before earning his bachelor of science degree in Economics and Statistics from the Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics at Makerere University in 1971. Ntozi earned his master’s degree at the institute in 1973 before gaining his PhD in Medical Demography in 1977 from the University of London.
From 1977 to 1979, Ntozi went to the University of Nairobi because of the political unrest during the reign of Idi Amin. However, many of his colleagues left at the beginning of the regime in the early 1970s while he remained at the university. Ntozi also attended Bishop School Mukono, Busoga College Mwiri, where he met Uganda’s current Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, and Oxford University.
Ntozi began lecturing for Makerere in 1971 as a Teacher’s Assistant while pursuing his master’s degree. In October 1992, he was granted full professorship, and in 1995 he fulfilled the university’s requirement of professors to give an inaugural lecture by presenting his research on HIV/AIDS. It was considered rare for a professor to complete this requirement within three years of the promotion to full professorship.
During his time as a professor, Ntozi has mentored around ten PhD students in demography and mentored students from his affiliated departments as well as from the departments of geography, sociology, gender studies, and public health. He has also served on many university boards.
Ntozi was a part of the university senate for more than 30 years. While on the senate, he fought for the university’s departments in statistics and population studies. In 2016, he relinquished his position as Chair of the Makerere University Pensioners’ Association (MUPA). While occupying this position, Ntozi advocated for the university’s retiree’s benefits and pensions.
At the university, he founded the Department of Population Studies. He has also developed all existing programs as of 2017, both undergraduate and graduate, in the School of Statistics and Planning.
During his years at Makerere, Ntozi has advanced the demographic and population studies at the university and mobilized resources and donations for the Department of Population Studies from the Rockefeller Foundation, World Bank, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), UNFPA, USAID, UNDP, and Population Council as well as other organizations.
Despite being offered jobs on an international scale, Ntozi has declined all to stay at his alma mater. Because of Makerere University’s requirement for professors to retire at the age of 70, Ntozi retired from lecturing in 2016 to work as a farmer. However, upon retirement he asked the university to continue allowing him to conduct research and mentor students at the Center for Population and Applied Sciences.
In 2008, he mobilised fellow retirees in conjunction with MURBS and MUASA leadership to demand for their benefits in Courts law and progress was made.
Ntozi has more than 75 peer reviewed scientific articles and more than 70 papers presented at conferences. He has also edited over 15 books.
