education 13 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
KAPATU Official Refutes NCHE Stalling Claims, Confirms Karamoja University Progress
An official from the Karamoja Peace and Technology University (KAPATU) project has strongly denied NCHE assertions that the initiative has stalled due to accreditation issues, affirming full compliance with legal requirements. KAPATU insists it is advancing toward becoming the first university in Uganda's Karamoja region. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/kapatu-rejects-nche-claims-insists-karamoja-university-project-on-track-5422392
Officials from the Karamoja Peace and Technology University (KAPATU) project have pushed back against recent claims by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) that the university’s establishment has hit a snag.
NCHE Executive Director Mary Okwakol informed Parliament’s Education Committee last week that KAPATU failed to meet accreditation standards, particularly regarding its proposed governance setup, which does not align with public university rules. She noted the Catholic Church-backed project resisted suggestions to pursue private status.
Severino Twinobusingye, KAPATU’s Third Vice President and Council Chair, labeled these statements as misleading and part of a pattern aimed at derailing the project. He highlighted compliance with the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, including all conditions from NCHE’s April 2024 Letter of Interim Authority.
Twinobusingye pointed out that KAPATU applied for a provisional licence as a private entity in October 2025, underwent NCHE verification, and met requirements for funding, infrastructure, and structures. He defended the governance model, including naming President Yoweri Museveni as Founding Chancellor and Vice President Jessica Alupo as Deputy Chancellor, stating no legal barriers exist.
Initiated by the Catholic dioceses of Kotido and Moroto with the Catholic Lawyers Society International, KAPATU aims to bring higher education to the underserved Karamoja sub-region, which has no public university yet.
NCHE officials, including PR Officer Saul Waigolo and Okwakol, did not respond to requests for comment.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)