KAMPALA, 21 October 2026 — Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme remains academically accredited, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa told Parliament on 20 October after consulting the National Council for Higher Education. His assurance follows the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda’s withdrawal of professional recognition, leaving students facing two different institutional positions.
Nile Post’s parliamentary report says Tayebwa requested an Education Ministry statement on 22 October, with Attorney General guidance on the legal framework. That clarification matters because academic study and progression into professional practice are different questions.
Is MUST’s pharmacy programme accredited?
NCHE’s reported position is that the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme remains academically accredited. PSU has separately withdrawn professional recognition over staffing and leadership concerns. Students should obtain written guidance on their particular cohort’s examinations, internships and registration rather than assume either that all degrees are invalid or that every professional requirement is settled.
Three questions that should not be combined
First, there is the university’s institutional status. NCHE’s licensed-institutions register lists Mbarara University of Science and Technology as a public university. A dispute about one programme is not evidence that the entire institution has ceased to be recognised.
Second, there is academic accreditation of the particular course. Tayebwa said he had contacted NCHE Executive Director Professor Mary Okwakol and received confirmation that the pharmacy programme remained accredited.
Third, there is professional recognition and the pathway towards practising pharmacy. PSU’s description of its training responsibilities includes supervising pharmacy students’ engagement, training and transfer, and providing for student registration. Its general webpage is background on those responsibilities, not proof that the current dispute has ended.
Why PSU withdrew recognition
According to Nile Post’s report on PSU’s 19 October notice, the society cited inadequate staffing and concerns about the pharmacy department’s leadership. It said an acting head was not a pharmacist and that a substantive appointment had not been advertised.
EDUCATION
MUST Pharmacy Accreditation Explained: What Students Need to Know
Oct 21, 2026
Oct 21, 2026
5 min read
Published
Updated:
KAMPALA, 21 October 2026 — Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme remains academically accredited, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa told Parliament on 20 October after consulting the National Council for Higher Education. His assurance follows the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda’s withdrawal of professional recognition, leaving students facing two different institutional positions.
Nile Post’s parliamentary report says Tayebwa requested an Education Ministry statement on 22 October, with Attorney General guidance on the legal framework. That clarification matters because academic study and progression into professional practice are different questions.
Is MUST’s pharmacy programme accredited?
NCHE’s reported position is that the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme remains academically accredited. PSU has separately withdrawn professional recognition over staffing and leadership concerns. Students should obtain written guidance on their particular cohort’s examinations, internships and registration rather than assume either that all degrees are invalid or that every professional requirement is settled.
Three questions that should not be combined
First, there is the university’s institutional status. NCHE’s licensed-institutions register lists Mbarara University of Science and Technology as a public university. A dispute about one programme is not evidence that the entire institution has ceased to be recognised.
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Second, there is academic accreditation of the particular course. Tayebwa said he had contacted NCHE Executive Director Professor Mary Okwakol and received confirmation that the pharmacy programme remained accredited.
Third, there is professional recognition and the pathway towards practising pharmacy. PSU’s description of its training responsibilities includes supervising pharmacy students’ engagement, training and transfer, and providing for student registration. Its general webpage is background on those responsibilities, not proof that the current dispute has ended.
Why PSU withdrew recognition
According to Nile Post’s report on PSU’s 19 October notice, the society cited inadequate staffing and concerns about the pharmacy department’s leadership. It said an acting head was not a pharmacist and that a substantive appointment had not been advertised.
PSU said it had issued a show-cause notice on 10 September, allowing 30 days for a response, and that MUST had not responded within that period. These are the society’s stated grounds, rather than a finding that every student’s work is invalid.
The reported restrictions concern student numbers, recognition of internship placements and eligibility for new graduates’ qualifying examinations. PSU also said it would not recognise qualifications obtained from teaching or assessment during de-recognition. Those consequences require specific clarification for affected cohorts; a general reassurance about academic accreditation does not answer every professional-progression question.
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MUST has appointed a pharmacist to lead the department in an acting capacity. Reporting on the university’s 20 October letter to NCHE identifies Dr Jonans Tusiimire as the appointee, effective 19 October for three months.
The university explained that an earlier departure had left a leadership gap. It defended the previous interim arrangement by pointing to the lecturer’s teaching and research expertise, and said teaching activities had continued during the transition.
MUST also reported receiving clearance on 14 October to recruit or promote academic staff, with plans to address staffing gaps. These are remedial steps. An appointment or recruitment plan should not be described as PSU reinstatement without a separate decision from the society.
What remains unresolved for students
Daily Monitor’s 20 October report quoted Okwakol’s position that withdrawal of recognition of academic qualifications falls within NCHE’s mandate. It also reported PSU Secretary Dr Stephen Lutoti saying the society maintained its council resolution, while it had not yet received formal communication about the new departmental appointment.
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That leaves a substantive disagreement about authority and practical consequences. It cannot be settled simply by treating the words “accreditation” and “recognition” as interchangeable.
For students and parents, the useful questions are specific:
Does the restriction affect my admission year or current stage of training?
Will my student number, attachment or internship be recognised?
What written arrangements apply to upcoming qualifying examinations?
Has PSU issued a new decision following MUST’s response?
If a transfer is considered, how would credits, fees and completion time be handled?
Keep written answers from the university and the relevant bodies. Before making a costly transfer or assuming professional eligibility, ask for guidance that identifies the programme, cohort and decision date.
The next scheduled clarification is the government statement requested for Parliament on 22 October. It should address both the legal mandates and how students can continue their studies and professional progression.
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