Kyambogo University is stepping up preparations for the 2026/27 academic year at its Paidha Campus in Zombo District, rolling out three new undergraduate degree programmes as it anticipates a bigger intake when admissions open in August.
The plans were unveiled during a benchmark visit that brought together staff from the university’s Paidha, Soroti, and Bushenyi campuses, an event that wrapped up with a friendly corporate football match against Zombo District officials at Bar Okoro Stadium in Paidha Town Council.
Built on more than 80 hectares of land, Paidha Campus is positioned to play a central role in widening access to higher education across the West Nile sub-region. Dr. Stephen Kasumba, Director of the Institute of Distance Education, E-Learning and Learning Centres at Kyambogo University, explained that bringing in staff from Soroti and Bushenyi was essentially a chance for them to get familiar with the new centre, since some may eventually be transferred there.
Kasumba announced that Paidha Campus will introduce three new full-time degree programmes in the coming academic year: Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Education (Primary), and Bachelor of Vocational Agriculture with Education. He described the move as part of the university’s broader push to expand academic offerings in response to growing demand for higher education in the region.
Dr. Joseph Rwothomio, focal person for Kyambogo University Paidha Campus and Acting Head of the Department of Education, said the new programmes will run on a full-time basis. He put the campus’s current enrollment at 450 students, with roughly 100 new students already admitted ahead of the next intake.
Rwothomio also welcomed the growing number of academic staff joining the campus and urged lecturers still working on postgraduate qualifications to finish up, noting that the university intends to prioritise qualified professionals from the local community in future recruitment. As he put it, priority will go to “qualified people from the local community.”
Kyambogo University set up Paidha Campus in 2024, initially running in-service teacher training programmes leading to a Diploma in Secondary Education and a Diploma in Primary Education. University officials describe the move into full degree programmes as another milestone in strengthening access to quality university education in West Nile, aligning with government’s broader push to expand higher education opportunities beyond major urban centres.
The benchmark visit also gave staff from the different campuses a chance to exchange experiences, build collaboration, and assess how ready Paidha Campus is ahead of the new academic year.
