By Our Reporter
NATIONAL/EDUCATION
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has granted Ssaabasajja’s Institution, Muteesa 1 Royal University a Charter.
The Grant was communicated to the University administration in a letter dated 25th January, 2023 and written by the Executive Director (NCHE), Prof. Mary J N Okwakol.
According to the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2001 as amended, a charter is “granted by the President as evidence that the university meets the requirements and standards of academic excellence set by the NCHE.” Furthermore, according to section 103(a) of the same Act 2001 as amended; a chartered university means a university that is comparable to a public university.
This is to inform you that council at its 68th Meeting held on the 20th January, 2023 considered and resolved to recommend to the Minister, the Grant of a Charter to Muteesa 1 Royal University,” Prof. Okwakol’s letter reads in part.
The Charter will consequently be gazzetted after the Minister responsible for Education presents the same to the President for final approval.
For any private university, getting a charter means, therefore, that it lays out guidelines for; establishment, control, management and administration of the institution.
While presenting the charter to Mountains of the Moon University board members, Prof John Opuda-Asibo, the executive director NCHE, explained that, “This is the grant of authority, the full and highest of a right… to exercise the responsibility of running a university. It is a sovereign right given by the head of state in any state.”
Why are most not chartered
Though Section 131 of the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act requires all universities to have a charter, (save Makerere University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology) not even half of the total number of universities in Uganda are chartered despite years and decades of being operational.
David, a lecturer at St. Lawrence University, says among the reasons most universities remain unchartered is the overwhelming list of requirements. “It is understandable when the requirements are strictly about the quality of education that the university is giving its students. However, some of the requirements are not central – for example when it comes to a particular number of students the university should possess and some of the physical structures required,” he says.
But Angela Geoffrey, the assistant registrar Lira University, says among other problems that many universities face is inadequate finances and therefore the inability to hit all the set requirements.
But like every learning centre, such as schools are judged on the standard to be allowed to operate, so are universities. In fact Prof Opuda says the reason they allow some universities to operate without a charter is because they are being nurtured.
ABOUT MUTEESA 1 ROYAL UNIVERSITY
The main campus is in the city of Masaka, approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi) by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city.
Muteesa I Royal University (MRU) is a private university in Uganda. It was accredited by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education (UNCHE) in 2007.[3] On 15 June 2016, Justice Julia Sebutinde was installed as Chancellor of the University, replacing Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, the founding chancellor who became The Visitor of the University.
MRU has three campuses.
The main campus is in the city of Masaka, approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi) by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. The coordinates of this campus are 0°19’21.0″S, 31°44’35.0″E (Latitude:-0.322500; Longitude:31.743056).
The second campus is on Mengo Hill, the seat of the Buganda Government, within the city of Kampala. The coordinates of this campus are 0°18’24.0″N, 32°33’19.0″E (Latitude:00 19 21S; Longitude:31 44 33E).
The third campus is in the town of Mubende, approximately 153 kilometres (95 mi), by road, west of Kampala.
History
MRU was established when ownership of the Masaka Technical Institute (Uganda Technical College, Masaka), was transferred from the government of Uganda to the Buganda government in January 2007.
MRU is named after Muteesa I of Buganda who invited the British to introduce formal education in his kingdom (Buganda) in the late 19th century. MRU received Tertiary Education Institution accreditation from the Ministry of Education & Sports in July 2007. MRU admitted the first class of students in October 2007. MRU held its first graduation ceremony on Friday 15 April, 2011. At the same ceremony, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi was installed as the first chancellor of the university.
MRU has, to date, held seven graduation events with the most recent held in January 2019 with the Vice President of Uganda Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi as the Guest of Honor.
Academics
As of July 2018, MRU had the following academic faculties:
Operational faculties
Faculty of Science and Technology
Faculty of Social, Cultural and Development Studies
Faculty of Business Management
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Education
Planned faculties
Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Studies
Faculty of Natural Environment, Tourism and Tourism Studies
Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences and Health Services
Courses
The following undergraduate degree courses were offered at MRU in September 2014:
Faculty of Business Management
Bachelor of Business Management
Bachelor of Public Administration
Bachelor of Public Relations
Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management
Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Science in accounting and finance
Bachelor of Science in development economics
Bachelor of Micro Finance Management
Bachelor of Entrepreneurship and Management
Bachelor of Business Computing
Bachelor of Human Resource Management
Bachelor of Science in project management
Faculty of Science, Information Technology, Art & Design
Bachelor of Civil Engineering
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering
Bachelor of Industrial and Fine Art
Bachelor of Information Technology
Bachelor of Library and Information Science
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Bachelor of Software Engineering
Faculty of Education
Bachelor of Arts with education
Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Business Education
Bachelor of Entrepreneurship with education
Bachelor of Education with art and design
Bachelor of Primary Education
Bachelor of Computer Studies with education
Bachelor of Secondary Education
Faculty of social sciences, arts and humanities
Bachelor in Development Studies
Bachelor in Social Work and Social Administration
Bachelor of Tourism and Hotel Management
Bachelor of Arts in mass communication
Bachelor of Guidance and Counseling
In addition to the academic degree programs listed above, MRU offers diploma and certificate courses in the same or similar fields.
