NCHE IN THE DOCK! Shocking Report Exposes Misfired Billions, Unqualified Staff & Chaos Under Prof. Okwakol
A storm is brewing at the National Council for Higher Education, where the very body mandated to police universities has itself been dragged into the spotlight by a damning December 2025 report from the Auditor General, laying bare a trail of glaring failures, weak oversight, and what insiders are calling “a crisis of credibility” at the top.
Under the stewardship of Executive Director Prof. Mary Okwakol, alongside Chairperson Prof. Joy C. Kwesiga and her deputy Hajji Dr. Ramathan Mugalu, the regulator tasked with safeguarding Uganda’s higher education standards now finds itself accused of failing to keep its own house in order.
The explosive findings show a pattern of questionable decisions and operational breakdowns that have left billions of taxpayers’ money hanging in the balance. In one of the most shocking revelations, “two multiyear contracts worth UGX.24.35Bn were awarded without authority/approval of Parliament contrary to the regulations,” a direct violation that raises serious questions about accountability at the very top.
Even more startling is the council’s inability to execute its own plans. Out of procurements worth UGX.7.17Bn that had been lined up, only UGX.133.5 million—just 1.9%—was actually carried out, painting a picture of an institution paralysed by inefficiency, unable to translate plans into action while critical functions stall.
The financial cracks widen further when it comes to revenue collection and spending. The report notes that NCHE “budgeted to collect UGX.5.39Bn during the year but collected UGX.4.64Bn representing 86% performance,” while “out of the total warrants of UGX.17.22Bn received during the financial year, UGX.14.12Bn was spent… representing an absorption level of 82%.”
And then comes the bombshell on the council’s ambitious infrastructure plans. The Auditor General reveals that “out of the expected cumulative receipts of UGX.15.89Bn for the main building project, only UGX.5Bn was received resulting into a funding deficit of UGX.10.89Bn (69%).”
But perhaps the most alarming revelation lies in the very core of NCHE’s mandate—ensuring academic standards. The Department of Standards, Recognition and Equation of Qualifications managed to develop 24 standards, yet only nine were finalised, leaving fifteen hanging in limbo. In a sector where standards define quality, this backlog signals a regulator struggling to keep pace with its own responsibilities.
The human resource situation is equally dire. Out of 126 approved positions, only 73 are filled, leaving a staggering 42% vacancy rate. This shortfall, according to the report, undermines the council’s ability to monitor universities effectively, casting doubt on its capacity to enforce compliance nationwide.
The situation becomes even more troubling when one looks at the follow-up audit on earlier findings. Years after a 2018 Value for Money audit exposed deep-rooted weaknesses, progress remains painfully slow. The Auditor General states bluntly that “only 12.5% of the audit recommendations… were fully implemented, while 62.5% were partially implemented and 25% were not implemented at all.” In other words, most of the critical reforms flagged years ago are still gathering dust.
The consequences of this regulatory failure are already being felt across the country. The report exposes how major public universities—including Makerere University, Gulu University, Busitema University, and Kyambogo University—have been operating unaccredited study centres in multiple locations.
In a further indictment of NCHE’s oversight, several universities continued to admit students into dozens of programmes with expired accreditation. The Auditor General attributes this to “weak enforcement by NCHE and inadequate internal tracking systems,” effectively exposing students to questionable academic quality while the regulator looks the other way.
The rot, however, goes deeper into the accreditation process itself. The report highlights systemic weaknesses, noting that “reviewers frequently produced reports that were not aligned with the NCHE performance assessment tools,” while in some cases, “reviewers frequently recommend accreditation despite reaching conclusions that are not supported by the NCHE instruments.” This raises the spectre of approvals being granted without proper justification, undermining the integrity of the entire system.
Even after accreditation, problems persist. The report observes that “the accreditation process is ineffective as evidenced by monitoring reports that indicate significant non-compliance in critical areas such as staffing, and infrastructure… within a short period after accreditation.” In simple terms, institutions are being cleared to operate, only for glaring deficiencies to surface almost immediately.
Shockingly, there are also gaps in basic quality assurance. The Auditor General points to an “absence of records on follow-up or quality assurance checks by NCHE staff on reports submitted by reviewers,” meaning there is little evidence that decisions are being independently verified.
Despite acknowledging “efforts to address” past recommendations, the report delivers a sobering conclusion: while there is “positive progress,” it is nowhere near enough. Critical gaps remain in enforcing tracer studies, funding standards development, staffing, and ensuring compliance across universities.
The findings now pile pressure on Prof. Okwakol’s leadership, which has previously faced accusations of discriminatory promotions and alleged denial of licenses to education investors. With the Auditor General’s report adding fresh weight to concerns about governance, questions are mounting over whether the current leadership can restore confidence in Uganda’s higher education regulator.
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