Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) has assured Bachelor of Pharmacy graduands that their degrees remain valid and recognised, despite a dispute with the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU), which says the university’s pharmacy programme will remain unrecognised by the professional body until its concerns are addressed.
The dispute centres on the appointment of a nurse as acting head of the university’s Department of Pharmacy, which PSU says raises concerns about compliance with professional training standards.
In a statement released on October 19, 2026, PSU said it had derecognised MUST’s pharmacy programme, citing regulatory concerns. In a subsequent letter dated October 21, the society maintained that the university’s accreditation by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) did not automatically guarantee recognition by the professional body.
Speaking to journalists at MUST’s Kihumuro Campus on Tuesday ahead of the university’s 33rd graduation ceremony, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pauline Byakika Kibwika said the pharmacy programme had undergone the required accreditation and review processes.
‘Our curriculum is approved, meaning by the time we rolled out the curriculum, we had the National Council for Higher Education come, review our curriculum, inspect our facilities. We had the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda come to MUST, inspect, review our curriculum, and they all agreed that MUST can offer the programme,’ she said.
Byakika said the leadership gap arose after the previous head of department resigned in May, leaving the university to make an interim administrative appointment as it sought a substantive replacement.
She said the acting head was a senior lecturer with nursing training and postgraduate qualifications in subjects taught to pharmacy students, while pharmacy instruction continued to be delivered by qualified pharmacy lecturers.
‘Our department head left in May and he left a gap at MUST where we did not have a senior lecturer of pharmacists to immediately take over the department. So having left that gap at a time when the semester was going to open, we immediately needed to close the gap and ensure that we received the students and the students are taught by the pharmacists who are existing,’ she said.
She added that the appointment was intended to address an administrative need rather than replace pharmacy lecturers responsible for teaching the programme.
However, PSU has maintained that NCHE accreditation and professional recognition are separate matters.
In its October 21 letter, signed by its secretary, Dr. Stephen Lutoti, the society said NCHE determines whether MUST can offer an accredited Bachelor of Pharmacy programme, while PSU must independently assess whether training and qualifications meet the requirements for entry into the pharmacy profession.
‘MUST may continue teaching under its NCHE accreditation; PSU cannot be compelled to disregard material professional-training deficiencies merely because that accreditation remains valid,’ the letter stated.
The society also said its role in professional oversight continued after accreditation and that its participation in earlier consultations with NCHE did not amount to an unconditional commitment to recognise the programme regardless of subsequent developments.
‘A programme may retain a valid accreditation while material questions subsequently arise about compliance with professional training standards. PSU’s responsibility is therefore continuing, not exhausted by its participation in an earlier accreditation process,’ the letter added.
In a further letter released on Tuesday, PSU said MUST’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme would remain unrecognised by the society until the concerns were addressed to the satisfaction of its council.
The dispute comes as the university prepares to graduate students from the programme, with questions remaining over the distinction between the validity of their academic qualifications and recognition for professional practice.
Byakika said MUST was following the required procedures to recruit a substantive head of department, adding that an advert for a senior lecturer position was due to be published on Tuesday.
‘Recruitment, you have to follow the law. So we have followed the law to the dot. And we are going to recruit. The advert is coming out today for a senior lecturer,’ she said.
She said the acting appointment had been made for three months while the university sought funding for the wage and the necessary approvals from the public service authorities to recruit a substantive head.
Byakika added that a pharmacist serving as deputy dean of the faculty was available to take over as head of department.
The university maintains that its programme is accredited by NCHE, while PSU says the accreditation does not remove its responsibility to assess whether the programme meets professional standards required for entry into pharmacy practice.
A total of 58 pharmacy graduands are scheduled to receive their degrees this Thursday. According to university officials, the programme has an annual intake capacity of 60 students.