KIU threatens to sue NCHE over expired courses list

By Elizabeth Ankunda

2^nd June 2023

The Vice Chancellor Kampala International University Prof. Muhammad Mpezamihigo has called on the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to come out and withdraw the statement it made about “expired” courses saying it is legally wrong.

In an exclusive interview with our reporter, he says that, if the Council does not come out to clear the air on that matter, they are ready to drag it to the courts of law.

Due to the statement by the Council, he adds that they are challenged by parents and students who have threatened to sue the university over this matter.

Prof. Mpezamihigo has however explained that this saga is a wakeup call to some universities which have been reluctant in making follow-ups on the courses they offer to upgrade them and meet their required standards.

Universities across the country leapt to their collective defense recently amid calls for legal action to be taken against them for running programmes deemed to be invalid, and whose graduates face the grim prospect of being declared non-degree holders.

At least 2,260 programmes are listed as expired on NCHE website, leaving the fate of tens of thousands of current and former university students hanging in the balance.

NCHE Executive Director Prof Mary Okwakol noted that the expiry of accreditation means that the program needs re-assessment to establish whether the key aspects upon which the accreditation as granted are still in place.