The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Parents and students have been urged to exercise caution before enrolling in or paying tuition for diploma and certificate programmes offered by universities. The warning follows the introduction of stricter regulations under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act, 2025, which threaten the validity of qualifications awarded through programmes that fail to meet the required vocational standards.
Wilson Muhumuza, a senior quality assurance officer at the Uganda Health Professions Assessment Board (UHPAB), said many universities have refused to adapt to the realities of the new TVET Act and continue teaching and internally assessing certificate and diploma programmes.
“The parents and students will end up as the victims. Many universities are still teaching certificate and diploma programmes,” Muhumuza said, urging the Ministry of Education and Sports and its counterpart at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to address the matter.
Onesmus Oyesigye, Executive Secretary of the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB), also noted that very few universities have accepted the requirements, brought their programmes for accreditation, and presented students for national examinations.
“The universities are still adamant on the matter. But I think with time they will start to appreciate the law. The only advice we can give is that the earlier they do this, the better, because the period they spend without bringing their students for assessment is affecting the students,” he said.
Alex Byarugaba, Principal State Attorney at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, agreed with Muhumuza and stressed that ensuring the message on the law’s demands reaches every stakeholder is not solely the ministry’s role but everyone’s responsibility, including assessment bodies, so they can make informed decisions.
“The TVET system is complete and standalone. The law we drafted clearly sets out how the issues are handled. A university can remain a university, but for TVET purposes, it must also become a TVET provider. That is why we even changed the nomenclature from institution to provider,” Byarugaba said.
Under the enforcement of the TVET Act, which came into force on 15 March 2025, holding a general university charter is no longer enough to offer vocational courses. For any certificate or diploma below degree level, particularly in health, technical, engineering and business fields, the university must be explicitly accredited and licensed as a TVET provider by the TVET Council, and its specific programmes must be cleared by the Council.
Article 30 of the Act provides that, subject to section 31(4) and notwithstanding other provisions, a university, other degree-awarding institution or tertiary institution established under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act may apply to the Council to be accredited to offer a TVET programme or course in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
The law further requires that a formal TVET provider, or a university, other degree-awarding institution or tertiary institution accredited under the relevant subsection, shall submit its trainees to the TVET Assessment Board for assessment and certification.
Article 118(2) states that an institution established or licensed under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act and the Education (Pre-Primary, Primary and Post-Primary) Act that intends to offer a TVET training programme or course shall comply with the provisions of this Act.
Byarugaba, one of the framers of the TVET Act, warned that assuming a prestigious university name guarantees legality is a risky gamble that could leave families financially devastated and students academically stranded.
“If a university fails to secure the specific TVET provider licence, the consequences fall squarely on the student. Affected learners will be blocked from sitting mandatory national examinations administered by professional assessment bodies,” Principal State Attorney added that without national assessments, any internal certificate or diploma printed by the university is legally considered null and void.
The development comes as the TVET Council verifies all public and private technical and vocational education and training (TVET) providers. In a letter signed by Moses Kasakya, the council’s Executive Director, the council said the exercise seeks to verify providers’ names, contact details, physical locations and other particulars before issuing licences, accreditation and certification in accordance with the law.
Following the exercise, the council will gazette and publish accredited institutions, including universities, authorised to offer TVET certificate and diploma programmes. To avoid falling into the tuition trap, parents and students are urged to verify a programme’s legitimacy before enrolling for any business, technical or medical certificate or diploma course.
They should ask the university registrar to produce a valid TVET Council provider licence and the accreditation certificate for the specific programme. They should also establish which national examining body sets and marks the final examinations. A university claiming to set and mark its own examinations for a vocational diploma should raise concerns and prompt further verification.
