The opening of Soroti university has been halted by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). This is the second time in less than a year. The NCHE sights the institute’s failure to meet the minimum requirements as the reason behind the now frequent halts. The university was supposed to open officially this month (August) but NCHE said it still has a long way before its opening can be sanctioned.
This was revealed by Prof Opuda Asibo, the executive director of NCHE while touring the university with the state minister for Higher Education Dr John Muyingo. The University has a shortage of human resource, teaching materials and gap in infrastructure to enable the university open. Besides that, the university has a shortage of over five billion shillings a matter that has shocked the minister who had gone to Soroti to make pronouncement on the commencement of Soroti University.
“The buildings are beautiful but they were not designed for the programmes the management of council has decided to start with,” Muyingo said.
The interim vice chancellor Prof Robert Ikoja blames inadequate resources as to what limits them from fulfilling the needed requirements. He said that they can open once they get sh5.3 billion for buying materials lacking. In the last budget the university was apportioned 4.6b
Soroti university was approved by the Parliament of Uganda and gazetted on 16th July 2015 under statutory instrument 2015 No. 34.
