Karamoja Peace and Technology University (KAPATU) has rejected allegations by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), setting up a dispute over compliance, governance, and the status of its licensing process.
The university's promoters were responding to remarks made by NCHE Executive Director Prof. Mary J. N. Okwakol during her appearance before Parliament's Sectoral Committee on Education on April 9, 2026.
According to parliamentary records, Okwakol told legislators that the project had stalled due to non-compliance with accreditation guidelines, raised concerns about its governance structure, and said promoters had resisted advice to apply for private university status.
In a statement, KAPATU's governing council chair, Twinobusingye Severino, dismissed the claims as inaccurate and said the university had complied with legal requirements for establishing a private institution.
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"The promoters of KAPATU take very strong exception to these false allegations that are deliberately designed to mislead His Excellency the President, Parliament, NCHE, and the general public," said Severino Twinobusingye, president of the Catholic Lawyers Society International and Chair of Council, KAPATU.
The university also accused some actors of what it called a "pattern of distortion" intended to frustrate the establishment of the institution in Karamoja.
KAPATU insists it has met all legal requirements under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap 262, saying conditions attached to its Letter of Interim Authority issued in April 2024 have been fulfilled.
These include mobilisation of funds, infrastructure development, staffing, and institutional preparations.
"We have not only met but exceeded the minimum statutory requirements for establishing a private university in Uganda," the statement said.
The promoters cite a Shs 30 billion contribution from the President, EUR 300 million in pledged development funding, more than 150 acres of land, and existing infrastructure including lecture halls, offices, accommodation, a library, security systems, and internet connectivity.
KAPATU says it applied for a provisional licence on October 27, 2025, and has already undergone verification by an NCHE-appointed inspection team.
"It is therefore surprising and concerning that the Executive Director would publicly declare non-compliance before the NCHE Council has formally considered our application," the statement added, warning that such comments risk prejudicing the process.
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The institution also rejected suggestions that it had refused to register as a private university.
"It is disingenuous to suggest that KAPATU has refused to become a private university. All evidence demonstrates the contrary," said Twinobusingye.
KAPATU further defended the involvement of the Catholic Church, citing provisions of the law allowing religious organisations to establish universities.
"The Church has a clear and established legal and canonical mandate to found universities. The involvement of the dioceses of Kotido and Moroto is therefore both lawful and appropriate," it said.
On governance, the promoters maintained that appointing the President as founding chancellor and the Vice President as deputy chancellor has no legal conflict.
"There is no legal impediment to these appointments. They arise from historical, constitutional, and institutional considerations and were made outside the jurisdiction of NCHE," the statement said.
KAPATU said it remains committed to transparency and the establishment of what it described as a transformative institution for Karamoja and Uganda.
