Uganda’s Cabinet has approved the establishment of Iganga University as a public institution, effectively finalising the government’s long-delayed takeover of the defunct Busoga University, ICT and National Guidance Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba announced on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The decision, reached during a Cabinet meeting on Monday, October 5, paves the way for the Ministry of Education and Sports to work with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to prepare the legal instrument required to formally establish the university . Cabinet has also directed the Ministry of Finance to allocate Shs89.998 billion to establish the institution and enable it to begin operations.
A Decade-Long Journey from Collapse to Public University
The road to this decision began in 2017, when the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) revoked Busoga University’s provisional licence over serious irregularities, including the awarding of fake degrees to more than 1,000 students, employment of unqualified academic staff, and the teaching of unaccredited courses.
The university, founded by the Church of Uganda in 1998, had accumulated substantial debts and was struggling to meet operational costs at the time of its closure . In January 2018, President Yoweri Museveni directed the government to take over the institution, alongside Mountains of the Moon University in Fort Portal . A committee led by then State Minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo was established to spearhead the process, followed by a task force management committee chaired by Prof. John Tabuti . The Church of Uganda formally handed over the university to the Ministry of Education in December 2024, transferring a 215.4-acre land title and a Memorandum of Agreement covering assets and liabilities . At the time of handover, the university had verified liabilities amounting to Shs15.2 billion, of which Shs7.05 billion remained unpaid.
Naming Dispute Delayed Reopening
The completion of the takeover was held up by a contentious dispute over the university’s name. The Ministry of Education initially proposed renaming the institution Kiira University, citing NCHE advice that retaining the Busoga University name could create confusion and expose the new public institution to claims linked to the former private entity . However, this proposal triggered resistance from Busoga leaders and Members of Parliament, who argued that the name carried significant regional identity and historical value. Speaker of Parliament Jacob Markson Oboth-Oboth urged the government to preserve the Busoga University identity, stating: “This Parliament strongly advises that Busoga University retains the name” . Third Deputy Prime Minister Rukiya Isanga Nakadama also opposed the change, saying: “Let Busoga University retain its name so that they don’t lose their identity as a region” . The impasse delayed plans to reopen the university for the August 2026 intake, with Acting Minister Muyingo confirming in July that the process could not proceed until President Museveni provided guidance on the name.
Renovation and Remaining Challenges
While the legal process stalled, physical preparations continued. The UPDF Engineering Brigade completed refurbishment works at the Iganga campus in July 2026 at a cost of Shs3.795 billion, renovating lecture blocks, administration offices, libraries, laboratories, the main hall, and other facilities . However, the takeover has not been without controversy. Busoga Kingdom Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muvawala, who also serves as executive director of the National Planning Authority, criticised the renovated structures, stating: “As Busoga Kingdom, we are not going to accept the commissioning of Busoga University because of its visibility. These buildings look like those of a secondary school, yet this is a university” . First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga dismissed these objections, urging leaders to make use of the available facilities rather than wait for bigger structures . Separately, a land dispute at the university’s Kamuli campus remains unresolved, with residents claiming ownership of a 98-acre plot and protesting what they describe as forceful evictions . The Interim Steering Committee, chaired by Prof. Tabuti, has established a complaints desk to address grievances and verify claims before the government assumes full control . With Cabinet’s approval secured, the final steps now involve preparing the statutory instrument and seeking Parliament’s approval before Iganga University can formally begin operations.