Kyambogo University’s Academic Registrar’s Department has published its National Merit Government Admissions list for the 2026/2027 academic year, and a closer look at the data reveals patterns that speak volumes about Uganda’s education landscape — from gender gaps in engineering to the overwhelming dominance of just two districts.
Across Kyambogo’s engineering programmes, the gender skew is stark. In the Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, all 13 admitted students on the national merit list are male. The Bachelor of Engineering in Civil and Building Engineering tells a similar story — 11 out of 12 admitted students are male, with only one female, Clare Cynthia Gift Ayado from Soroti, cracking the list at the top spot with a weight of 54.4.
The Bachelor of Engineering in Automotive and Power Engineering admits 9 students — 8 male, 1 female.
By contrast, the Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance admitted 7 students — all female.
A district-by-district breakdown of admitted students reveals a concentration that should concern policymakers. Across virtually every programme — from Architecture to Information Technology to Food Science — Wakiso and Kampala districts combine to account for a dominant share of admitted students.
In the Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering alone, 4 of 12 admitted students are from Wakiso or Kampala. In Information Technology and Computing, 5 of 13 are from those two districts. In programmes like Counselling Psychology, Surveying, and Environmental Engineering, Wakiso students appear repeatedly — sometimes placing multiple students in the same programme.
Districts like Kumi, Arua, Oyam, Lamwo, Bukedea, and Pallisa each produce just one admitted student across the entire list — a reminder of how far the country’s educational infrastructure gap remains.
The full list spans over 30 degree programmes, yet several admit remarkably small cohorts on government sponsorship. The Bachelor of Science in Sports and Leisure Management admitted just 2 students in the first listing, and the Bachelor of Vocational Studies in Home Economics with Education admitted just 1 student at its top slot.
Meanwhile, the Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Process Engineering admitted 16 students — the largest single-programme cohort visible in the document, suggesting either high demand or a wider government slot allocation.
The top weight score across the entire admissions list belongs to Najjuuko Grace Ashley (U0053/841, Wakiso) who scored 54.4 and was admitted into the Bachelor of Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering — tying with Ayado Clare Cynthia Gift who scored the same 54.4 for Civil and Building Engineering.
In Architecture, the top admitted student — Alesi Jovia Nasirah from Koboko — scored 53.8, the only female to top her programme’s list in the technical disciplines.
While the overwhelming majority of admitted students sat their A-Level exams in 2025, a handful appear with a 2024 AI Year — meaning they waited a year before securing a government slot. These include students in Business Administration, Environmental Science, Procurement & Logistics, and Building Economics. One student — Anzo Alvin (U3077/520, Moyo) in Chemistry — sat in 2023, suggesting a two-year gap before finally landing a government place at Kyambogo.
