The Minister of Education, Ms. Janet Museveni, has convened a meeting of vice-chancellors and senates from all public universities at State House on Tuesday, September 17, 2024. The purpose of the meeting is to elect their representatives to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).
In a letter to one of the university vice-chancellors, seen by KFM, Ms. Museveni noted that the Executive Director of the NCHE had informed her of the expiration of the current representatives’ terms. Citing Section 6A of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (UOTIA), which grants her authority to issue policy directives to all higher education institutions, she invited all VCs and senate members to the meeting.
“This is, therefore, to invite you and all members of your university senate to a meeting on Tuesday (today) September 17 at State House Entebbe,” the letter reads in part.
Dr John Chrysestom Muyingo, State Minister for Higher Education confirmed that all university vice-chancellors were summoned in an interview last week.
The election of two representatives is particularly crucial given the NCHE’s current leadership vacancy. The terms of Ms. Joy Kwesiga (Vice-Chairperson) and Prof. Eli Katunguka (Chairperson) have recently expired.
Ms. Museveni’s summons comes just weeks after the Minister for Higher Education, Mr. John Chrysostom Muyingo, halted contentious elections for university representatives to the NCHE. The minister’s decision was prompted by growing tensions over the legitimacy of the election process for selecting representatives from public university senates and vice-chancellors.
The leadership of the Public University Forum had clashed with the NCHE, accusing it of overstepping its role by organizing and overseeing the elections scheduled for September 20.
