Museveni orders takeover of two struggling private universities

President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Education and Sports Ministry to takeover Mountains of the Moon and Busoga universities.

Mr Museveni's directive is contained in a January 8, 2018 letter to his wife, Ms Janet Kataha Museveni, who is the Minister of Education and Sports.

Mr Museveni notes in the letter that although government didn't plan to take over the two private universities, there is need to come to the rescue of students studying there.

"I am writing to direct you to take over two private universities which some of our people acting in good faith, started many years ago. The two universities are Mountains of the Moon and Busoga University," Museveni's letter reads in part.

In the letter, Museveni also notes that given the popularity of university education, government has established public universities in West Nile, Lango, Teso, Ankole, Kabale, Acholi and Bukedi and that there are plans to establish more in Bugisu, Sebei, Masaka, Bunyoro, Mubende and Karamonja.

Last year, the management of Mountains of the Moon University applied to government to take it over and turn it into a public university.

The private institution located in Fort Portal, was established in 2005 by a team of eminent people from Tooro region, as a community university.

Prof John Kasenene, the Vice Chancellor Mountains of the Moon University, said they can no longer afford the high costs of running the institution and face a huge challenge to pay staff salaries and improve infrastructure.

Management argues that once government takes over the university, it will enhance the salaries of staff members, improve infrastructures and enable their students to access education loans.
The founders include Prof Edward Rugumayo, Justice Seith Manyindo and Local Government Minister, Mr Tom Butime, among others.

In an interview, Prof Kasenene, who sounded excited about the development, says the university is yet to receive official confirmation of the take over from the Ministry of Education and Sports.
In 2016, government took over Kabale University effectively making it a public institution.

In December last year, the Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education, Prof John Asibo Opuda, in a correspondence said the provisional licence of Busoga University had been revoked after its failure to recruit qualified staff, teaching unaccredited courses and graduating students, who do not meet the minimum academic standards.

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