KAMPALA Uganda (UGNEWSLINE) – The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has clarified that the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) remains fully accredited, dismissing any suggestion that its approval has been withdrawn.
In a statement issued Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the council said the programme’s accreditation remains valid and that teaching and learning should continue despite a decision by the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) to withdraw its recognition of the course.
“The Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at Mbarara University of Science and Technology is fully accredited. The accreditation has not been withdrawn by the National Council for Higher Education,” the council said.
The clarification follows a public notice issued by the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda announcing the withdrawal of its recognition of the pharmacy programme, raising questions about the status of the course and the qualifications of its graduates.
NCHE said it was neither involved nor consulted before the professional association made its decision, stressing that the law places the authority to accredit academic programmes and recognise qualifications with the council.
“The mandate of recognition of academic qualifications rests with the National Council for Higher Education,” the statement said, citing Section 4(i) of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262.
The council also referred to Section 4(d)(ii) of the Act, which empowers it to receive, consider and process applications for accreditation of academic and professional programmes in consultation with professional associations and regulatory bodies.
It added that Section 4(f) empowers it to receive and investigate complaints relating to higher education institutions and take appropriate action.
According to NCHE, MUST’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme was first accredited in 2010 and has since undergone several re-accreditations.
The most recent approval was granted on January 30, 2025, allowing the programme to operate until 2036. The council said the re-accreditations were conducted in consultation with the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda, as required by law.
The dispute also comes amid changes in the leadership of MUST’s Department of Pharmacy.
NCHE said the department was headed by an associate professor of pharmacy until July 2026, when he resigned to join another academic institution after being promoted to full professor.
The university subsequently engaged a senior lecturer with a nursing background and a PhD in Pharmacology from Ghent University in Belgium to temporarily head the department.
The council added that the current acting head of the department is a pharmacist who also serves as president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda.
NCHE reiterated that the programme remains accredited and that its teaching and learning activities should continue.
“The teaching and learning of the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at Mbarara University of Science and Technology should continue,” the statement said.
The council said it remained open to receiving and investigating complaints concerning higher education institutions, emphasising its statutory responsibility to ensure that academic programmes meet the required standards.
