Kyambogo prepares for first competency-based university intake
The training programme targets deans, heads of departments, examination coordinators and academic staff, equipping them with skills in competency-based curriculum design, learner-centred teaching methods and authentic assessment.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Elly Katunguka addresses journalists during a press conference at Kyambogo University on July 6, 2026. (Credit: Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
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Kyambogo University has stepped up preparations for the arrival of Uganda's first cohort of learners trained under the competency-based curriculum, with academic staff undergoing extensive training and degree programmes being redesigned to align with new national higher education standards.
Speaking during a press conference at the university on July 6, 2026, vice chancellor Prof. Elly Katunguka said the institution is implementing a comprehensive transition plan in line with a Ministry of Education and Sports directive requiring all universities to align their academic programmes with competency-based education before the first Senior Six graduates under the revised curriculum enrol in the 2027/2028 academic year.
"We are reviewing our programmes and training our academic staff so that we shall be ready to admit students under the competency-based curriculum," Prof. Katunguka told journalists. "If we are to admit students into our institution next year, we must transform the way we teach, assess and design our academic programmes."
He said the university is working closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports and the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to ensure all course units, teaching approaches and assessment methods comply with the new requirements.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Elly Katunguka addresses journalists during a press conference at Kyambogo University on July 6, 2026. (Credit: Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
He said the university is reviewing every academic programme to ensure graduates acquire practical competencies, critical thinking skills and workplace abilities demanded by employers.
"Students complete university, but they are not employable because they often lack the critical soft skills required in today's world of work. We want our graduates to leave the university with the competencies needed to solve problems and create jobs," he said.
The university recently launched a Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) capacity-building programme for staff. The training is being conducted in phases and covers the foundations of higher education instruction, competency-based curriculum design, teaching and assessment, educational technology, professionalism, ethics and inclusive education.
Uganda introduced the competency-based curriculum at the lower secondary level in 2020 before extending it to Advanced Level. Unlike the previous content-based curriculum, the new approach places greater emphasis on the practical application of knowledge, problem-solving, creativity, communication, collaboration and continuous assessment rather than rote memorisation.
The reform aims to equip learners with employable skills and entrepreneurial competencies while making education more responsive to the country's social and economic development needs. As the first cohort completes the revised Advanced Level curriculum, universities have been directed to redesign their programmes to ensure continuity in teaching and learning.
Prof. Katunguka said Kyambogo, one of Uganda's leading teacher education institutions, intends to be at the forefront of implementing the reforms.
He said programme reviews are underway across faculties and schools to ensure course units reflect competency-based learning outcomes and that assessment methods measure what learners can do rather than what they can simply recall.
The vice chancellor expressed confidence that the university would be fully prepared before the first cohort arrives in 2027.
"We are aligning all our programmes with the national expectations. By the time the first cohort reports, our staff will have been trained, our curricula reviewed, and our teaching methods transformed to support competency-based learning," he said.
Education experts say the transition represents one of the most significant reforms in Uganda's higher education sector in decades, requiring universities to strengthen partnerships with industry, expand practical training and embrace innovative teaching technologies.
The first students who have progressed through the competency-based curriculum from lower secondary school are expected to enrol in universities and other tertiary institutions in the 2027/2028 academic year, making the current preparations critical to ensuring a smooth transition into higher education.