The Auditor General, Edward Akol, has raised fresh concerns over low academic staff participation in research across eight public universities, warning that the trend threatens the country’s higher education standards and global competitiveness.
In his latest audit report, Akol revealed that, with the exception of Makerere University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology, most public universities registered alarmingly low research publication rates during the period under review.
Universities with Low Research Publication Rates
At Gulu University, only 11 out of 259 academic staff (4%) published research.
At Kabale University, 28 out of 320 staff (9%) produced research publications.
At Kyambogo University, 70 out of 418 staff (17%) published research.
The report further indicates that at Lira University, just 22 out of 116 staff (19%) were involved in research publication, while at Busitema University, only 62 out of 286 staff (22%) published research.
Similarly, Soroti University recorded 35 out of 99 staff (35%) publishing research, while Muni University had 38 out of 107 staff (36%) participating in research output.
Even at Mountains of the Moon University, which posted the highest rate among those listed, fewer than half of the academic staff — 66 out of 139 (47%) — published research.
Causes of the Low Output
According to the Auditor General, the low participation in research activities has been attributed to inadequate mentoring structures, limited training in proposal development, and weak incentives for junior researchers.
Research and publication are key performance indicators for universities globally, contributing to institutional rankings, innovation, and knowledge generation. Experts warn that sustained low research output could undermine Uganda’s ambition to build strong research-led universities.
The findings come amid broader scrutiny of public universities over accountability and performance, especially following significant government investment in the sector in recent years.
The Ministry of Education and Sports and university management teams are expected to respond to the audit findings and outline measures to strengthen research culture and productivity across institutions.
