A recent report has revealed that five prominent public universities are offering a total of 222 courses that lack accreditation from the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE). This revelation, outlined in the 2022/23 Auditor General’s Report presented at Parliament on Tuesday, could potentially impede the affected students from securing jobs or pursuing further studies using these unaccredited qualifications.
According to the findings, out of the 692 programs reviewed across the five universities, only 47 percent (332 programs) were accredited, 20 percent (138 programs) were under NCHE for accreditation, and a significant 33 percent (222 programs) were not accredited at all.
Makerere University, a renowned institution, had 120 unaccredited programs out of the 347 reviewed, with only 78 under the NCHE. The Makerere University of Business Studies (MUBS) had just one program under NCHE out of the 43 reviewed, leaving 15 programs without accreditation. Kyambogo University had 63 unaccredited programs out of 128, with only 20 accredited, while the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) had 21 unaccredited programs out of 93.
Gulu University, with 76 accredited programs out of 81, only had two under NCHE, leaving three without accreditation. The report highlights that the delays in accreditation were attributed to extensive consultation processes with stakeholders and staffing challenges at the National Council for Higher Education.
In response, the Auditor General, Mr. John Muwanga, recommended that the university accounting officers initiate accreditation processes promptly to ensure timely approvals by NCHE.
The concern about institutions offering outdated courses gained attention in May of the previous year, causing widespread panic. Parliament, during a plenary sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker Mr. Thomas Tayebwa, directed the Ministry of Education to submit a formal statement on the matter. The issue resurfaced earlier this week when the Auditor General released findings about the five universities with unaccredited courses.
In reaction to the report, Mr. Dennis Mugimba, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, emphasized that the ministry is collaborating with the NCHE to address the issue. “As a ministry, we don’t get directly involved; we work with agencies, which is the National Council for Higher Education,” Mugimba stated
