The High Court has dismissed an application filed by King Ceasor University medical graduate, Henry Gavin Mukalazi, who had sued the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) after being denied internship deployment.
Mukalazi, who graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) in 2023, petitioned the court following the council’s refusal to recognise his academic qualifications. NCHE argued that he had been admitted into medical school using invalid credentials.
Court proceedings revealed that Mukalazi enrolled for the medical programme using a Bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Ultrasound from the Ernest Cook Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, obtained in July 2016. However, the ultrasound qualification itself had been pursued using a certificate in Comprehensive Nursing—an entry route the court found did not meet the minimum requirements for admission into a bachelor’s degree programme in Uganda.
In his application, Mukalazi contended that NCHE failed in its regulatory duty by allowing him to study for several years and accepting tuition fees, only to later invalidate his qualifications. He argued that denying him internship placement was unlawful and infringed on his right to practise his profession.
In his ruling, Acting Justice Bonny Isaac Teko dismissed the application, holding that the applicant did not meet the minimum entry requirements at the foundational stage of his academic progression.
The judge emphasised that a certificate in Comprehensive Nursing, or any post–O-Level certificate, is not a valid entry qualification for a bachelor’s degree programme, rendering Mukalazi’s subsequent academic credentials irregular.
Justice Teko further noted that while the Constitution guarantees the right to practise a profession, this right is subject to compliance with statutory frameworks governing regulated fields such as medicine.
Citing the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, he observed that eligibility for registration requires both a recognised medical degree and completion of a supervised internship in an approved facility.
The court also clarified the role of NCHE, noting that it does not deploy medical interns—a function reserved for the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council. Mukalazi’s case, the judge said, primarily challenged NCHE’s decision not to recognise his qualifications.
He concluded that the council acted within its legal mandate, and that its refusal to recognise Mukalazi’s academic credentials lawfully barred him from progressing to internship and professional registration.
