education 16 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
NCHE and Karamoja University Promoters Dispute Accreditation Process
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has halted the Karamoja Peace and Technology University (KAPATU) project in Kotido due to unmet accreditation standards, particularly governance issues linked to its Catholic Church origins. Promoters strongly deny the claims, asserting full compliance with legal requirements and substantial progress on funding and infrastructure. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/nche-karamoja-university-promoters-clash-over-accreditation-5426282
A heated dispute has emerged between the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and promoters of the Karamoja Peace and Technology University (KAPATU) over the accreditation needed to establish Uganda’s first university in the Karamoja region.
During a parliamentary sectoral committee on education session on April 9, 2026, NCHE Executive Director Prof. Mary J.N. Okwakol stated that the project stalled because KAPATU’s proposed governance structures do not meet legal standards. She highlighted that the Catholic Church-founded initiative seeks public university status, which is not allowed, and promoters rejected advice to pursue private status instead.
In response, Severino Twinobusingye, president of the Catholic Lawyers Society International and KAPATU council chairperson, issued a statement on April 13, 2026, rejecting the allegations as misleading and part of a pattern aimed at derailing the university. He insisted that KAPATU fully complies with the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act Cap 262, including conditions from a Letter of Interim Authority issued by NCHE on April 9, 2024.
Promoters claim they have met all demands: mobilizing Shs30 billion from President Museveni and €300 million (Shs1.2 trillion) from international partners for infrastructure and water projects. They have also secured facilities like a library, lecture halls, staff accommodation, a police post, and surveillance systems. The administration block is 42% complete, funded by a partial Shs10 billion release.
Twinobusingye emphasized that KAPATU applied for a provisional license on October 27, 2025, which NCHE vetted and verified. He cited Section 27(M) of the Act permitting Catholic Church involvement and dismissed claims that they refused private status.
Launched by Vice President Jessica Alupo in 2023, KAPATU in Kotido District aims to serve the Ateker community across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)