Minister calls for review of tertiary institutions’ laws

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Animal Industry state minister, Lt Col (rtd) Bright Rwamirama, has expressed concern over the quality of graduates produced by universities and tertiary institutions. He is now calling for a review of the governing laws.

Rwamirama’s concerns stem from the frustration many graduates face due to unemployment, highlighting the need to revive laws governing these institutions to produce relevant graduates.

According to him, the current laws, as seen in the Act establishing tertiary institutions and universities like Makerere, fail to consider the industries that graduates will serve.

He emphasises that the oversight is a core issue that needs to be addressed. Rwamirama’s stance suggests that aligning academic programmes with industry needs could improve graduate employability and overall quality.

“We need to review laws, rules, and regulations governing tertiary institutions to ensure these institutions remain relevant to specific industries and the nation at large,” he advised.

Rwamirama’s remarks were contained in his speech delivered by commissioner of animal health and chief veterinary officer, Dr Anna Rose Okurut.

This was during the launch of the Agricultural Policy Research Centre (APRC) at Makerere University’s School of Public Health on February 24, 2025.

Victoria Sekitoleko, Chairperson of Uganda Agribusiness Alliance addressing university dons during the launch of Agricultural policy Research Centre at Makerere University. (Credit: Juliet Kasirye)

The APRC is expected to conduct rigorous research, provide evidence-based policy solutions and serve as a capacity-building hub for government agencies, research institutions and stakeholders.

Established with support from the Government and development partners, the centre is an initiative of Makerere University's College of Agriculture and Environmental Science (CAES), specifically the department of agribusiness and natural resource economics. The Africa Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes collaborated with the APEX platform to provide technical support.

While reinvigorating the Agricultural Policy Research Centre (APRC) is a positive step, the minister emphasised the need to address the underlying reasons why initiatives often lose momentum and fail to sustain themselves.

"Initially, we faced a problem where policymakers would develop and implement policies without assessing their impact. We want to see evidence-based research that contributes to policy development and implementation, effectively informing policy-making processes and implementation," economic affairs director at the Office of the President, Vincent Bamugaaya Tumusiime, said.

While sharing her observations, Uganda Agribusiness Alliance chairperson, Victoria Sekitoleko, also requested university dons to include public speaking and English language in the curriculum, noting that the writing standard of reports is falling.

“I have looked at the curriculum of the PSA agriculture, and it is really basically, not very different from what I learnt when I was there. I would like to suggest some changes, for example, people who are learning anything to do with extension, agrobusiness should learn public speaking,” Sekitoleko said.