President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has directed Busoga University officials to account for a Shs15bn loan the struggling institution secured but failed to pay back.
Recently, Museveni announced that government would turn Busoga University into a public institution.
The takeover would also mean taking over the loan.
But he insisted the loan should only be cleared after thorough accountability to ascertain how it was spent.
“After a series of meetings, the government has agreed to take over Busoga University as a public institution with its Shs15b loan,” said Museveni.
“We shall pay the loan when we know what the money was used for and If this money was spent on public efforts.”
The president’s order has sparked panic among officials who were at the center of the institution’s administration when the loan was secured.
Sources said Museveni was expected to assign Col Edith Nakalema’s State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, there is now hope Busoga University will get back on track after struggling for years.
In 2017, National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) revoked a provisional licence it had given the institution in 1998.
NCHE had argued that the university had enlisted unqualified lecturers and administrators, was sinking under debts, and had acted in total disregard of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act.
Meanwhile, Museveni has also explained that the NRM policy was to have a public university in the original 18 colonial zones of Uganda.
“In Busoga, we are going to build a public university there (Namasagali). As that happens, the idea of taking over this private university is a good one,” he said.
