Four academics were arrested yesterday by the police to assist with investigations into the ongoing operations of Kayiwa International University, a private institution that the government closed in 2020. The arrests occurred at the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) offices following allegations that the group had forged a letter purporting to authorize the university to resume its activities.
The letter, dated August 9, 2023, falsely claimed to be from NCHE Executive Director, Prof. Mary Okwakol, who has since disowned it. “We have never reinstated their licenses; hence they are not supposed to admit or enroll any student. That is why we have handed the matter to police to explain where they got the forged letter,” Prof. Okwakol stated.
The fraudulent letter, misleadingly indicated that NCHE had allowed the university to reopen. “In accordance with section 98(3) of the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act, you have fulfilled the mandatory two years to seek for the reinstatement of the university operations,” it read in part. The letter also stated that the provisional license was reinstated under the supervision of the quality assurance committee.
Despite the letter bearing a signature similar to Prof. Okwakol’s, discrepancies such as varying fonts (Times, Times Regular, and Arial) raised suspicions. University officials initially denied any knowledge of the forgery during a meeting with NCHE, but Prof. Okwakol reported inconsistent responses about the letter’s source. The university secretary claimed it was delivered by a young man from NCHE, while the vice chancellor said they received it through an agent.
“They should tell the police the name of the agent who delivered the forged letter from me. As far as I am concerned, the university does not exist,” Prof. Okwakol remarked.
Before being handed over to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials, the university’s proprietor claimed they had not received formal communication about their license revocation. “You indicate that you sent the revocation letter in 2020. However, the country was under lockdown due to Covid-19, and there was nothing at the institutions. We did not receive that communication officially,” he argued.
NCHE officials refuted this claim, noting that the revocation letter was received by the university secretary and published in the Uganda Gazette and a newspaper.
The arrests followed an advertisement on the university’s website (kintu.ac.ug), inviting prospective students to apply for the 2024/2025 academic year. This led NCHE to summon top university officials, who were then handed over to CID officers.
The detained officials include the university’s owner, the vice chancellor, the chairperson of the university council, and the university secretary. Prof. Okwakol emphasized that Kayiwa International University would need to start afresh by applying for a letter of interim authority, which involves setting up the required infrastructure, recruiting qualified staff, and establishing laboratory facilities.
As the investigation continues, the NCHE plans to visit the university to verify whether it meets the necessary standards before any consideration of reinstating its license.
