Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Education and Sports Committee have demanded the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to clarify on the mandatory 20,000 shilling annual fee imposed on students in universities and higher institutions of learning.
Prof. Mary Okwakol, Executive Director of the NCHE, appeared before the committee to present the 2026-2027 financial year policy statement and MPs raised concerns about the fee, questioning its rationale, especially since institutions already pay accreditation fees and contribute revenue to the NCHE.
Arthur BabuMuguzi, NCHE Director of Finance, explained that the fee is collected as non-tax revenue under the Uganda Revenue Authority’s directive.
He confirmed the NCHE has collected 4.7 billion shillings annually for the past decade and its deposited on the consolidated account. He added that such funds have been used to cover the cost of accrediting three university programs or courses for free each year.
By Lubega Francis
10th April 2026
End
