Professor Mbwette is the former Vice Chancellor of the Open University of Tanzania (OUT), and the Chairman of the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE). He holds Ph.D., M.Sc. and B.Sc. (Hons) degrees in Civil Engineering, and a postgraduate Diploma in Sanitary Engineering. Prof. Mbwette rose through the ranks at the University of Dar es Salaam to become the Associate Dean for Research, Publications and Postgraduate Studies, before his appointment as the Deputy Vice Chancellor and eventually the Vice Chancellor of OUT.
Prof. Mbwette is credited with the institutional development of ten different Tanzanian and four regional institutions, the largest of which was AICAD Research Institute funded by the JICA and East African Governments for East Africa based in Kenya as well as The National University of Rwanda. He is a former Chairman of the IUCEA and the TERNET Council and currently the Chairman of the Pan African University. He is also the Chairman of the African Network for Internationalization of Education and Board Member, Association of African Universities.