Professor Eli Katunguka, the vice chairperson of Kyambogo University, has responded to the National Council for Higher Education, clarifying that the university’s study centres are not illegal, contrary to the council’s recent assertion.
In a letter dated July 2, the National Council for Higher Education instructed Kyambogo University to shut down several of its study centres, declaring them illegal due to their lack of official recognition.
The council’s correspondence also raised concerns about the legitimacy of awards issued by these centres, sparking anxiety among the 1,129 students enrolled there. The letter warned that the continued operation of these centres violated legal standards and undermined the validity of the qualifications being offered.
However, Professor Eli Katunguka contends that the issues outlined in the letter were not representative of the National Council for Higher Education as a whole but rather the concerns of individuals with personal interests. He maintains that, to the best of his knowledge, the study centres are operating legally and will remain open for the foreseeable future.
The centres in question include the Bushenyi and Soroti campuses, as well as the former Kamurasi Primary Teachers’ College (PTC) in Masindi, the former Kabwangasi PTC in Butebo, and the former Bukedea PTC in Bukedea.
Professor Katunguka explained that the Bushenyi and Soroti centres were established by the university council in 2017. This initiative was part of Kyambogo University’s commitment to offering quality, affordable, and accessible education to students who could not easily reach the main campus.
He further clarified that the other centres were inherited from the defunct Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK) and have been providing distance education programs since the 1990s to upgrade Grade III and V teachers.
“The programmes running the learning centres and distance education centres were accredited by national council for higher learning,” he added. “they are administered under the respective schools/ faculties and coordinated by the institute of distance learning, e-learning and learning centres. Additionally, the learning centres are part of Kyambogo University’s approved structure by the ministry of public service.”
He further added that, to advance the function of ensuring teacher upgrades, the Ministry of Education has recently transferred the phased-out Pider PTC to Kyambogo. This centre will be used to help teachers from Northern Uganda upgrade their qualifications to meet the national teacher policy requirements, which require that all teachers hold a degree.
A source at the university attributes the ongoing issues to power struggles within the National Council for Higher Education, which have extended to and are affecting Kyambogo University, where Professor Eli Katunguka serves as the Vice Chancellor.
“These centres have been here for years, and the NCHE has done nothing to declare them illegal until now, amidst their recent conflicts,” said the source.
The law requires prior approval of NCHE for a University to establish a branch or a campus of the university in any other part of Uganda.
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