NCHE Issues Strict Warning to Universities Over Unaccredited Programmes

The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has issued a stern ultimatum to both public and private universities across Uganda, warning them to immediately audit and align their academic programs or face severe penalties, including program phase-outs. The regulator revealed that several institutions are still admitting students into academic programs whose accreditation has expired or was never granted.

Prof. Mary Okwakol, the Executive Director of NCHE, noted that the council will no longer tolerate administrative negligence that leaves graduates with “worthless” papers. “It is a breach of trust and a violation of the law to teach a course that has not been reviewed and accredited by the council,” Okwakol stated during a press briefing. “We owe it to the parents who pay tuition and the students who dedicate years of their lives to ensure their qualifications are legally recognized locally and internationally.“

The crackdown is part of NCHE’s broader quality assurance framework for the 2025/2026 academic cycle. For a program to be accredited, universities must demonstrate that they have qualified staff, adequate library resources, functional laboratories, and a curriculum that matches current market demands. The NCHE has advised parents and prospective students to use the digital portal on the official NCHE website to verify the accreditation status of any course before paying tuition fees.

Universities have been given a grace period to submit their self-assessment reports and apply for re-accreditation. Institutions that fail to comply risk being blacklisted, and the NCHE has warned that professional bodies—such as the Uganda Law Council and the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council—will not register graduates from unaccredited courses.