KIU speaks out on unaccredited engineering courses

By Kiyimba Bruno
Kiyimba.bruno@gmail.com

Kansanga based university Kampala International University (KIU) has defused the tense situation following the strike that was made by its Engineering students.

This was in a press briefing that was addressed by Dr Annette Kezaabu Kasimbazi on Wednesday, the University Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC), which took place in the university boardroom.

According to Kezaabu, the Engineering students were misinformed about the updates that are happening between the university and the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), an incident that led to the strike

“NCHE has requirements that they need to enable a university to have accredited courses. Now in our Engineering department, we needed adequate lecture rooms, Engineering labs, adequate human resource and many more. These do not take only one month to have.” Said Kezaabu.

She added that KIU had shipped lab equipment including telecom and mechanical gadgets from abroad something that delayed the complete accreditation of its Engineering course process.

Kezaabu said accreditation is a process and some of the steps require a longer period of time to complete.

“We embarked on that process more than a year ago and we are in the final steps of completion” said Kezaabu.

She went ahead to explain that the university is at its final stages of completing the engineering labs, an extra pharmacy lab at the Ishaka based western campus as well as construction of the Dar es salaam teaching hospital in Tanzania which will accommodate a capacity of over 1000 beds.

On this note Kezaabu warned all the Engineering students who still think of not doing their exams that they better change their minds since most of their friends are ready to do the exams having known what will happen to them.

On Tuesday, KIU Engineering students had a demonstration that led some to be detained at Kabalagala police post then later were rescued by the university DVC.