Opening of Soroti University Blocked by NCHE

With a visual impression that the administration block featuring 16 lecture theatres, lecture halls, eight science laboratories, eight tutorial rooms and laboratories designed specifically for medicine, engineering and associated science courses, Soroti University is going to be one of the grate Public universities in Uganda. But National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) says Soroti University is not ready to start admitting students.

The University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ikoja Odongo while appearing before the parliament’s Education Committee told the Members of Parliament that on January 11, 2018, the NCHE wrote to the University stopping its plans to open pending the completion of construction works and procurement of laboratory equipment.

He said that NCHE also wants the University’s computer laboratories to be fully equipped with new computers before it opens.

“A skills laboratory with all the relevant equipment to serve the nursing students is required and programmes will commence after the nursing skills laboratory has been set up with beds, instruments, models and necessary equipment,” part of NCHE report reads.

NCHE report notes that the histology, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology and histopathology laboratories well equipped with microscopes, stools, reagents and others.

The University is also required to recruit qualified academic staff and technicians.

The establishment of Soroti University was approved by the Parliament and gazetted on July 16, 2015.

Soroti University is supposed to train human resource in Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Engineering and Science Teacher Education.