Zadock Amanyisa | Tayari News
MBARARA – The Mbarara University of Science and Technology(MUST) has officially clarified the 19th October 2026 de-recognition of the Bachelor of Pharmacy program at the Mbarara City-based Science and Technology University by the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU).
On Monday, the PSU informed the general public, pharmacy students, parents and stakeholders that it had withdrawn its recognition of the course, explaining that the decision was taken at the 127th ordinary council meeting on 4th September 2026.
According to PSU, the Department of Pharmacy was headed in an acting capacity by a professional nurse, not a pharmacist, had an inadequate number of staff, and the university had not issued any internal or external advert to substantively fill the position of the departmental head.
PSU also argued that the council issued a show cause notice requiring MUST to show cause within 30 days why the recognition should not be withdrawn and transferred, but MUST did not respond within the stipulated period.It is against this background that, at its 61st emergency council meeting, held at Kyambogo, Kampala, the council resolved to withdraw its recognition of the Bachelor of Pharmacy program.
The PSU knew the consequences their action would cause to the Pharmacy Department at MUST. The consequences include the PSU council not recognising any qualification obtained from an institution where courses were taught and assessed during the de-recognition period.
The de-recognition also came with suspension of issuance of PSU Pharmacy student numbers, recognition of any internship placement and eligibility to sit PSU pre-internship and pre-registration qualifying examinations for any new graduates of MUST until compliance is restored.
PSU asked the current students to either seek transfer to other universities recognised by the PSU council or wait for MUST to comply.
MUST Speaks out
In response to the crisis, MUST Vice Chancellor, Prof. Pauline Byakika-Kibwika, has written to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) clarifying leadership and staffing arrangements in the Department of Pharmacy.
The 20th October Vice Chancellor’s letter contains details on interim leadership, recruitment plans and measures to safeguard students’ academic progression as the science and technology university addresses the injury.
Prof. Byakika told the NCHE Executive Director, Prof. Mary J.N Okwakol, that the MUST Head of the Department of Pharmacy (name not mentioned) resigned in May 2026 to join another public university.
“In May 2026, the Head of Department of Pharmacy, an Associate Professor of Pharmacy, tendered his resignation with effect from July 2026, on account of his wish to serve at another Public University within Uganda at a higher position as Professor of Pharmacy,” Prof Byakika said in the letter, adding that MUST Management submitted the case to the Appointments Board, which accepted the resignation, and the Pharmacy boss left the university.
The Vice Chancellor explained that “the Academic Registrar called for elections for Head of Department, but since there was no pharmacist at the level of senior lecturer to fill the position, one candidate whose name is withheld was nominated by the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, President of the PSU and also a senior lecturer at MUST, and she was considered although she is not a pharmacist by profession.
She was given the job due to her seniority, longstanding departmental service and familiarity with its academic acitivities and that her teaching and research contributions which include clinical trials, pharmacoepidemiology and research methods, which are core course units among many others.
MUST management took an administrative decision and appointed the said Pharmacy boss in an acting capacity for only three months to enable the management team to appoint a substantive Head of Department.
“This on the background of the guidelines from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, not to commit Government in the absence of appropriate budget and the guidelines from the Ministry of Public Service for approval of staff recruitment and promotion.” The letter to NCHE reads in part
Prof. Byakika told NCHE that the Management has started a process of recruiting for the positions of Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer from which qualifying persons will be identified to take on the responsibility of Head of department.
Pending completion of the substantive appointment process, Management has appointed Dr Jonans Tusimiire, who is a senior lecturer and the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at MUST and also serving as the President of PSU as Acting Head of the Pharmacy Department for a period of three months with effect from 19th October 2026.
Parliament intervenes
While chairing Tuesday’s parliamentary plenary sitting, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, said he had received several calls from students and parents seeking clarification on the matter.
Tayebwa told Parliament that MUST’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme remained accredited by NCHE for the next four years, despite a dispute over its professional recognition by the PSU.
He explained that he contacted the NCHE Executive Director, who confirmed that the programme remained accredited.
“The students are learning and being taught an accredited course,” Tayebwa told Parliament.
The Deputy Speaker said there was an overlap in the mandates of the Pharmaceutical Society and the NCHE under the laws governing pharmacy training. He directed the Minister of Education and Sports to present a comprehensive statement to Parliament on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
He also asked the minister to consult the Attorney General and requested the Attorney General’s presence in Parliament to clarify the legal framework governing the matter.
Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi said the concerns raised by PSU appeared to extend beyond programme recognition to the qualifications of the person heading Mbarara University Department of Pharmacy.