KAPATU Responds to NCHE’s Executive Director! Clarifying Accreditation Dispute and Stalled Project Allegations

Karamoja Peace and Technology University (KAPATU) Limited has issued a strong response to statements made by Mary J. N. Okwakol, the Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), dismissing them as misleading and inaccurate.

Prof. Okwakol made the remarks during a presentation to the Sectoral Committee on Education in the Parliament of Uganda on April 9, 2026, where she claimed that the KAPATU project had stalled due to failure to meet accreditation guidelines and governance requirements.

In a detailed rebuttal, KAPATU promoters strongly rejected the allegations, describing them as part of a broader attempt to undermine the establishment of what is set to become the first university in the Karamoja sub-region. They argued that the statements form part of a wider effort by certain actors within NCHE, the Ministry of Education, and the Attorney General’s Chambers to frustrate the project’s progress.

KAPATU maintained that it is fully compliant with Uganda’s legal framework governing university establishment, as outlined in the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act. The institution was granted a Letter of Interim Authority by NCHE on April 19, 2024, which required it to mobilize funds, secure infrastructure, establish academic and administrative systems, and advance development plans.

According to the promoters, the university has not only met but exceeded these requirements. They revealed that the project has secured significant funding, including UGX 30 billion from Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and EUR 300 million (approximately UGX 1.2 trillion) from international development partners. The funding is expected to support both university infrastructure and broader water supply initiatives in the Karamoja region.

The promoters further stated that physical development is already well advanced, with key facilities such as a functional library, lecture halls, administrative offices, staff accommodation, and a police post already established. Over 150 acres of land have been secured for expansion, while construction of the administration block is currently at 42 percent completion, financed in part by the government contribution.

They also dismissed concerns regarding governance, emphasizing that the university’s founders, the Catholic Dioceses of Kotido and Moroto, are legally mandated to establish and manage the institution. The involvement of the Catholic Church, they explained, is grounded in Canon Law, which permits bishops to found universities within their jurisdictions.

Additionally, the appointments of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as Founding Chancellor and Jessica Rose Epel Alupo as Founding Deputy Chancellor were described as lawful and aligned with national development principles, with no legal impediment to their roles.

KAPATU has called on NCHE and other stakeholders to act in good faith and support the establishment of the university, which it described as a transformative project for the Karamoja region. The promoters reaffirmed their commitment to fulfilling all remaining requirements necessary to secure a Provisional Licence and full accreditation.

They concluded that the KAPATU initiative represents a historic opportunity to expand access to higher education and drive socio-economic development in Karamoja, urging all parties to support rather than hinder its realization.