Auditor General, John Muwanga

MPs sitting on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Monday grilled the Ministry of Education and Sports officials to explain their expenditure of over 2.1billion shillings of public funds meant for private Universities.

In his June 30^th 2016 report to Parliament, Auditor General, John Muwanga, highlighted that the Ministry transferred 2.1billion shillings to six private Universities, in fulfillment of Presidential pledges.

The beneficiary Universities included; Bishop Staurt University which received 380 million shillings , Kumi University 300Million shillings , Kisubi Brothers University College 912.5Million shillings , Nkumba University 300M, Mountains of the Moon University 150M and Ndejje University 150M.

During the audit process, the auditors discovered that the transfers lacked detailed information with regards to status of implementation of pledges where the benefiting universities had to construct libraries, laboratories and other science blocks.

The auditors also queried discovered that the transfers were made without putting in place mechanisms for accountability from the universities that benefited from President Museveni’s generosity.

In their response, the Ministry told MPs that only Nkumba and Ndejje Universities have handed in their accountabilities.

Director Higher Education Robert Odok Oceng said that the understanding is that the students from private Universities are also Ugandans who come to the job market, who should be properly trained.

During the interface, it was discovered that the Ministry issued the funds without drawing any agreement with the Universities.

The Ministry acknowledged that there was no memorandum of understanding drawn but revealed these have since been put in place.

Gerald Karuhanga the Ntugamo MP

Gerald Karuhanga, Ntungamo Municipality MP wondered how the Ministry would commit such huge funds to private Universities, yet public Universities are grappling with meager funds.

He also questioned why the Ministry budget should go into paying presidential pledges, yet Parliament allocates monies to the Office of the President to meet presidential pledges.

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Students of Makerere University holding discussions at the Freedom Square grounds.

The rankings were released by a University Web Ranking 2016 which also indicated that the newly created Universities of Soroti and All Saints’ are among trailing in terms of University ranks in Uganda.

The research that was also carried out among other Universities in Africa, ranked the top 200 Universities, indicating that the first top ten Universities are all found in  South Africa with the University of Cape Town being number one on the continent followed by university of South Africa and university of Pretoria respectively.

In the East African Region however, Nairobi University is ranked as the best because as captured the 14^th position, followed by Makerere University which also scored the 18^th position.

The list shows that Soroti and All Saints universities are trailing in the last positions in Uganda, followed by Uganda Pentecostal University, St. Lawrence University, St. Augustine’s International University and Bishop Stuart University in that order at the bottom.

Besides Makerere and Ndejje as the best Universities in Uganda, the ranking indicates that Mbarara University of science and technology is 3^rd, Uganda Christian University 4^th, Kampala International University 5^th, Kyambogo University 6^th, Uganda Technology and Management Univeristy (UTAMU) 7^th, Uganda Martyrs University 8^th, Victoria University 9^th and International University of East Africa scoring the 10^th position.

Others are Islamic University in Uganda, Gulu University, Mountains of the Moon University, Bugema University, Muni University, Nkumba University, International Health Sciences University, Busitema University, Muteesa 1 Royal University, Livingstone International University, Cavendish University, Busoga University, Kampala University, Kabale University, Kumi University and African Rural University in that descending order.

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Speaking during public lecture on development and prevention of disease at Mountains of the Moon main campus at Saaka yesterday, the university chancellor professor Edward Rugumayo disclosed that the chances of curing HIV/AIDs are limited.

A renowned senior researcher Ms. Joy Folkvord from Colorado university in the US revealed that a large number of people who have not bothered to establish their HIV status continue to engage themselves in risky behaviours.

Prof. Rugumayo challenged some societies who still believe that HIV is a myth and not a reality to face up to the challenge of HIV/AIDS.

He said that many people in the world have lowered their interests in controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS.

By Rogers Sunday

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