UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima has revealed how a lecturer at Makerere University allegedly tried to use her academic performance as leverage to obtain sex from her during her time at the institution.Byanyima, 67, made the revelation while recounting some of the difficult experiences she faced as a young woman in Uganda during an interview with The Continent.The former legislator said the incident happened after she enrolled at Makerere University to study civil engineering.According to Byanyima, the lecturer visited her room one night and offered to help her pass her examinations if she agreed to sleep with him.She said she rejected the proposal, insisting that she was academically capable and did not need the lecturer’s help.“I said no. I didn’t need his help. I was one of the best students in the country. But saying no had consequences,” Byanyima said.She did not name the lecturer or provide details of the consequences she allegedly faced after turning down the proposition.‘I didn’t need his help’Byanyima’s account has revived attention to allegations of sexual harassment and so-called sex-for-marks practices within institutions of higher learning.Her experience dates back decades, to a period when Uganda was experiencing political instability and widespread violence under the government of Idi Amin.She recalled growing up in an environment where fear and violence were part of everyday life, particularly for women and girls.According to her, young women feared being picked up by soldiers, while some girls would disappear from school after losing relatives in the political violence.Makerere harassment concernsThe revelation comes against the backdrop of previous investigations into sexual harassment at Makerere University.In 2018, a university-appointed investigation documented cases in which lecturers were accused of sexually harassing and exploiting students, including allegedly using academic results as a form of pressure.Makerere subsequently revised its sexual harassment policy and introduced mechanisms aimed at reporting, investigating and preventing such cases.The university has also continued with initiatives aimed at preventing gender-based violence.In May 2026, the university trained 250 student peer trainers to help educate students about gender-based violence and guide victims towards available support services.From Uganda to the UKByanyima also spoke about the difficult circumstances that eventually forced her to leave Uganda for the United Kingdom as a refugee.She reportedly arrived in Britain with only $300, before securing a scholarship to study aeronautical engineering at the University of Manchester.While in the UK, she became involved in the anti-apartheid movement, feminist activism, peace campaigns and efforts supporting human rights in Uganda.Her latest account offers a personal glimpse into the experiences that shaped her early life and highlights the challenges faced by young women pursuing education during a turbulent period in Uganda’s history.The post Makerere lecturer tried to sleep with me for marks, Byanyima reveals was written by the awesome team at Campus Bee.