University Courses Don't Expire, Says Attorney General

The Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka has allayed public fears that University courses do expire. 

During plenary sitting on Wednesday, Kiryowa said under the law, there is no provision for the expiry of courses. 

"Courses are still valid, it was just a bad choice of word. It's just that NCHE is doing reviews to ensure that the courses remain applicable with the changing circumstances in the world," he said. 

"The country needs to be assured that all degrees that have been issued are well within the provisions of the law.”

This comes at the backdrop of media reports that at least 2,260 university programmes are listed as expired on National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) website. 

The Minister of State for Higher Education, Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo while presenting a statement on “expired courses” clarified that qualification of graduates on programmes that have received prior accreditation, in accordance with NCHE minimum standards and regulations are valid. 

"Expiry of accreditation, as reflected on the NCHE website, means that the programme needs re-assessment to establish whether the key aspects upon which accreditation was granted are still in place," he said. 

He added that institutions with programmes requiring reassessment have been urged to submit them for reassessment as soon as possible, in any case by 30th November 2023.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa was uncomfortable with the use of the word "expired courses" saying it is unnecessarily alarming. 

 "Why use the word expiry? These programmes only require review but are not expired. An expired product is thrown in the trashcan, please don’t throw our programmes in the dustbin," he said. 

He directed the Minister to write to NCHE so that these affected courses are marked as “programmes under review.”