Karamoja Peace and Technology University (KAPATU) Limited has fired back at Prof. Mary J. N. Okwakol, the Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), over her claims that the university project had stalled.
In her remarks while appearing before the Sectoral Committee on Education in Parliament on April 09, 2026, Prof Okwakol claimed that the KAPATU project had stalled due to its failure to meet accreditation guidelines and governance standards.
Through its third university vice president and council chairperson Saverino Twinobusingye, KAPATU has trashed Okwakol’s claims terming them “false.”
Twinobusingye offered a detailed clarification to the public regarding KAPATU.
Undermining KAPATU’s Progress?
Twinobusingye and other promoters of KAPATU have strongly condemned these allegations, which they suggest are part of a coordinated effort to disrupt the establishment of the first university in Karamoja.
KAPATU asserts that these false statements are part of a broader agenda by some factions within NCHE, the Ministry of Education, and the Attorney General’s Chambers to hinder the project’s development.
“The promoters of KAPATU take very strong exception to the false allegations that are deliberately designed to mislead HE the President of Uganda, Parliament, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and all stakeholders,” write Twinobusingye.
“The false allegations by the ED NCHE fit in a deliberately calculated pattern of distortion by some actors within NCHE, MoES and Attorney General’s Chambers which we are sure are aimed at failing all efforts towards the realization of the first ever university in Karamoja Region.”
KAPATU has now reassured the public that the university is in full compliance with Uganda’s legal requirements for establishing a university, as specified in the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act.
The university was granted a Letter of Interim Authority by NCHE on 19th April 2024, which outlined four specific conditions for progress: mobilizing funds, securing infrastructure, organizing academic and administrative systems, and advancing the development of the university.
Twinobusingye on KAPATU’s Progress and Dedication
Contrary to Prof. Okwakol’s claims, Twinobusingye says that KAPATU has not only met but surpassed all the requirements set by NCHE.
The project has secured significant funding, including UGX 30 billion from President Museveni and EUR 300 million (approximately UGX 1.2 trillion) from international development partners.
These funds, Twinobusingye says, will support the construction of the university’s infrastructure and also provide water to the entire Karamoja region.
He further noted that the physical infrastructure of the university is already underway, with a fully operational library, office spaces, lecture halls, staff accommodation, and a police post already in place.
Over 150 acres of land have been secured for future development, and the new administration block is 42% complete, funded in part by the UGX 30 billion donation from President Museveni, the university Council chairperson further noted.
On KAPATU’s Dedication to Legal and Religious Principles
The promoters of KAPATU also reject claims regarding the university’s governance structure. The Catholic Dioceses of Kotido and Moroto, who are the founders of KAPATU, have every legal right to establish and manage the university, continued Twinobusingye.
He added that the church’s involvement in founding KAPATU is based on Canon Law, which empowers the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church to establish universities within their dioceses.
Additionally, Twinobusingye further explained, the appointments of H.E. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as Founding Chancellor and H.E. Maj. Jessica Rose Epel Alupo as Founding Deputy Chancellor were made in accordance with the NRA’s 10-Point Program, and there are no legal obstacles to these appointments.
KAPATU’s Call for Fairness and Support
KAPATU has now urged the National Council for Higher Education and all stakeholders to act in good faith and support the creation of a university that will bring lasting development to the Karamoja region.
Twinobusingye insists that the university’s establishment is progressing smoothly, and the promoters are committed to fulfilling all the necessary requirements to secure the Provisional Licence and full accreditation.
Twinobusingye and fellow promoters of the KAPATU project are strongly convinced that the project is a historic and noble endeavor that will not only transform the educational landscape of Karamoja but also provide invaluable opportunities for the entire nation.
A few years ago, NCHE and universities were in a war of words after universities were found to be teaching expired courses. (See Details Here and There).
You can see the list of Uganda’s top 65 universities and institutes in 2026 HERE.
