Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has said Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s (MUST) Bachelor of Pharmacy programme remains accredited by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) for the next four years, despite a dispute over its professional recognition by the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU).
Tayebwa made the clarification during Tuesday’s parliamentary plenary sitting following concerns over PSU’s reported withdrawal of professional recognition for the programme with immediate effect.
He said he had received several calls from concerned students and parents seeking clarification on the status of the course.
Tayebwa said he contacted NCHE Executive Director Mary J. N. Okwakol, who confirmed that the programme remained accredited.
“The students are learning and being taught an accredited course,” Tayebwa told Parliament.
He added that NCHE had accredited the programme in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including PSU.
However, the Deputy Speaker noted that there appeared to be an overlap in the mandates of PSU and NCHE under the laws governing pharmacy training.
He directed the Minister of Education and Sports to present a comprehensive statement to Parliament on Thursday, October 22, 2026, explaining the matter.
Tayebwa also asked the minister to consult the Attorney General and requested the latter’s presence in Parliament to clarify the legal framework governing the accreditation and professional recognition of pharmacy training programmes.
Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi said the concerns raised by PSU appeared to extend beyond the programme’s recognition to the qualifications of the person heading MUST’s Department of Pharmacy.
Ssenyonyi said a letter from the professional body questioned whether the department was headed by a person with the qualifications required for the position.
He urged the government and relevant authorities to address the concerns promptly to prevent further uncertainty among students and graduates.
“If it is a question of somebody heading a department who requires a particular set of qualifications, I think that should be sorted out so that students are not in disarray,” Ssenyonyi said.
Minister of State for Education and Sports Peter Ogwang pledged that the ministry would present the requested statement to Parliament on Thursday.
MUST explains staffing changes
Meanwhile, MUST Vice Chancellor Professor Pauline Byakika-Kibwika has outlined measures the university is taking to address leadership and staffing concerns in its Department of Pharmacy.
In a letter dated October 20, 2026, addressed to NCHE Executive Director Professor Mary J. N. Okwakol, Byakika-Kibwika explained that the issue arose after the department’s former head, an associate professor of pharmacy, resigned in July 2026 to take up a professorial position at another public university in Uganda.
His departure created a leadership gap, with the university lacking a pharmacist at the rank of senior lecturer or above to take over the position.
The university subsequently appointed a senior lecturer with a background in nursing, public health, pharmacology and clinical trials to serve in an acting capacity for three months.
According to the vice chancellor, the temporary appointment was informed by the staff member’s research experience and familiarity with departmental activities as the university prepared for the academic year.
However, effective October 19, 2026, the university appointed Dr Jonans Tusimiire as acting head of the Department of Pharmacy for three months.
Dr Tusimiire is a senior lecturer, deputy dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and president of PSU.
Byakika-Kibwika said the university had also secured clearance from the Ministry of Public Service on October 14 to recruit or promote academic staff after seeking funding from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
The university’s explanation comes as Parliament prepares to examine the dispute between the higher education regulator and the professional body, with students and parents awaiting clarification on the programme’s professional recognition and the qualifications required to lead the department.
