Parliament Rejects Kiira University Name, Backs Retention of Busoga University

Parliament has pushed back against a proposal to name the planned public university in Busoga sub-region Kiira University, with Speaker Jacob Markson Oboth-Oboth urging the Government to retain the name Busoga University and undertake wider consultations before making a final decision.

The disagreement emerged during plenary on Thursday, August 27, 2026, as the Government updated Parliament on progress towards transforming the former private Busoga University into a public institution.

The matter came before Parliament after a petition by former staff of the defunct university, who sought Parliament’s intervention on three issues: retention of the Busoga University name, fast-tracking the statutory instrument required to formally establish the new institution, and settlement of outstanding arrears owed to verified creditors.

According to the ministerial statement, presented by State Minister for Education and Sports Peter Ogwang, on behalf of Acting Education Minister Dr John Chrysostom  Muyingo, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) unanimously recommended Kiira University during its 85th Council Meeting after concluding that retaining the Busoga University name could create legal and regulatory complications.

NCHE argued that continued use of the former university’s name could confuse the public and potentially expose the new public institution to legal and reputational liabilities arising from the history and closure of the former private university.

The Government also considered the name Iganga University, but rejected it because it could create the impression that the institution’s mandate was limited to one district. The planned university is expected to operate a multi-campus structure covering Iganga, Kamuli and Bugiri districts.

The Government said the Uganda Registration Services Bureau had confirmed the availability and reservation of the name Kiira University. The proposed name would, however, still require approval at the highest levels of Government, including President Yoweri Museveni.

But the proposal drew immediate opposition from legislators across the political divide, who argued that the university’s name was a matter of regional identity and history rather than simply an administrative decision.

Kazo District Woman MP Molly Nawe Kamukama urged the Ministry of Education to consult political and cultural leaders in Busoga before settling on a name. Mukono South MP Robert Maseruka questioned why the Government would take over the institution while abandoning the identity under which it had operated since 1999. 

He argued that if the Government’s policy is to expand equitable access to public university education across the country’s regions, Busoga should not be treated differently. Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio Rukia Nakadama Isanga also backed retention of the existing name, warning that abandoning it could be interpreted as stripping the region of an important institutional identity. Speaker Oboth-Oboth strongly criticised the proposed renaming and questioned whether NCHE should determine the identity of the new public university. 

“The name you are suggesting is not from Busoga. You are using the National Council for Higher Education to impose a name and give flimsy reasons of confusion. Is that the role of the National Council for Higher Education, to decide on the names?” Oboth-Oboth asked. He rejected the argument that Kiira was more appropriate because of the university’s intended regional reach, warning against a process that appeared to detach the institution from the community and history from which it emerged. He directed the Clerk to Parliament to extract the relevant Hansard proceedings, together with the Government’s response, and forward them to the petitioners. 

The concerns raised by legislators will also be communicated to the responsible minister to allow for broader consultations before the Government returns to Parliament with a final position. “This Parliament strongly advises that Busoga University retains the name,” Oboth-Oboth said. Beyond the naming dispute, the Government also updated Parliament on outstanding liabilities inherited from the former university. The state assumed liabilities amounting to 5.8 billion Shillings, of which approximately 4.6 billion shillings have been paid. 

About 1.2 billion Shillings remains outstanding. According to the Ministry, some claimants have not presented themselves for payment, while others submitted claims without adequate supporting documentation. 

The Ministry said all land previously owned by Busoga University had been legally transferred to the Government and reported progress on infrastructure, academic programmes and governance arrangements necessary for the institution to operate as a public university. 

The establishment process has also secured a Certificate of Financial Implication, which assesses the financial implications and sustainability of creating the new government institution. The Ministry is now preparing a Cabinet Memorandum. 

Once Cabinet approves the proposal, the Government is expected to proceed with the statutory instrument required to formally establish the university under Uganda’s higher education legal framework.