Mbarara University of Science and Technology says it has begun recruiting staff for its Pharmacy Department after securing wage clearance, following the departure of its former head in May.
Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) has begun addressing staffing shortages in its Department of Pharmacy following the departure of its former head, Associate Professor Patrick Ogwang, whose exit triggered a dispute over the leadership of the department and the recognition of the university’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme.
Speaking to Tayari West on Thursday, MUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Pauline Byakika-Kibwika said Ogwang, the department’s first Ugandan head and its highest-qualified pharmacist, left after the university granted his request to transfer to Soroti University.
“When Associate Professor Ogwang, who was the first Ugandan head of department, left in May this year after his request to be transferred to Soroti University was granted, he left a gap. He was the highest-qualified pharmacist in the department,” Byakika said.
She explained that his departure left the university without another pharmacist who met the required qualifications to head the department.
According to Byakika, the applicable guidelines require a head of department to be a pharmacist at the rank of senior lecturer or above. After Ogwang’s departure, the department was left with lecturers and assistant lecturers, while its only remaining senior lecturer was serving as deputy dean.
“Below him, there wasn't an associate professor in the department. The law says the head of department must be a pharmacist and at a level of senior lecturer and above. We didn't have that person in the department; we only had lecturers and assistants,” she said.
To maintain operations, the university appointed a senior lecturer with a nursing background to oversee the department in an interim capacity.
The university defended the arrangement on the basis of the lecturer’s academic qualifications and experience in pharmacology, clinical trials and related research.
The arrangement, however, triggered objections from the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU), which argued that the department required a qualified pharmacist at its helm and had inadequate academic staffing.
On October 19, PSU withdrew recognition of MUST’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme, citing concerns about departmental leadership, staffing levels and the university’s failure to respond to a notice requiring it to explain why recognition should not be withdrawn.
The decision raised concerns about students’ academic and professional progression, with PSU announcing restrictions affecting student registration numbers, internship placements and eligibility for professional qualifying examinations for new graduates.
MUST subsequently appointed Dr Jonans Tusiimire, a pharmacist, senior lecturer and deputy dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, as acting head of the Department of Pharmacy for three months, effective October 19.
Tusiimire is also the president of PSU, the professional body that withdrew recognition of the programme.
The appointment has raised questions about the management of potential conflicts of interest arising from his leadership roles at both the university department and the professional body involved in the dispute.
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), however, rejected PSU’s decision to withdraw recognition of the programme, saying the council had neither been involved nor consulted.
In a clarification issued on October 21, NCHE said MUST’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme remained fully accredited, with the latest re-accreditation granted on January 30, 2025, allowing it to run until 2036.
The council said recognition of academic qualifications falls within its statutory mandate and that teaching and learning at MUST should continue.
The disagreement has also reached Parliament. Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa told legislators that the programme remained accredited by NCHE and directed the Minister of Education and Sports to present a comprehensive statement, in consultation with the Attorney General, explaining the respective legal mandates of NCHE and PSU.
The intervention followed concerns about the uncertainty facing students enrolled in the programme and questions over the authority of the two bodies in regulating pharmacy education and professional recognition.
Meanwhile, Byakika-Kibwika said recruitment had initially been delayed because the university lacked the necessary wage clearance from government.
“We couldn't recruit without approval from the Ministry of Finance and Public Service because we didn't have the wage. But I am happy to report that the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Public Service gave us a green light on 14th October, so we have started on the recruitment process,” she said.
The university plans to recruit or promote academic staff to fill the gaps, including positions at senior lecturer and associate professor levels, as it seeks to establish permanent leadership for the department.
Despite the approval, the vice-chancellor said limited funding continues to constrain staffing across the university.
MUST is operating at 36 per cent of its required staffing capacity because of wage-budget limitations, according to Byakika.
“We do not have sufficient funds for wage. We request government to prioritise more funding for universities for wage so we can recruit because we are understaffed, currently operating at 36 per cent,” she said.
Byakika appealed to the government to increase funding for higher education to enable public universities to recruit and retain qualified academic staff across critical departments.