Prof. Dorothy Okello appointed chair of vocational assessment board

The government has appointed Prof. Dorothy Okello as the new chairperson of the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB). 

She is the immediate past Dean of Makerere University's College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT).

Her appointment, announced in a university statement on Thursday, marks a crucial step in strengthening the country’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system. 

“Professor Okello’s expertise will undoubtedly contribute significantly to advancing Uganda’s technical education sector,” said Prof. Moses Musinguzi, Principal of CEDAT, in a congratulatory message. 

“We are confident she will play a key role in shaping a more robust vocational training system.”

Okello's appointment follows another key development in the sector: the induction of the new TVET Council, now chaired by former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) executive director Dr Allen Kagina.

The council was established under the TVET Act, passed in March 2025, which dissolved all former TVET boards to consolidate oversight and streamline vocational education governance in Uganda.

The induction ceremony, held last week and presided over by primary education state minister Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, also brought on board new leadership for several other bodies, including UVTAB, the Uganda Health Professionals Accreditation Board (UHPAB), and the overarching TVET Council. 

With these changes, the TVET Council will now oversee key regulatory functions previously performed by multiple bodies such as the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB), the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT), the Uganda Allied Health Examinations Board (UAHEB), and the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examination Board (UNIMEB).

Uganda currently has 79 skills training centres (42 government-run and 37 private), 145 vocational institutions (including 85 under government management), and 15 public technical colleges.

The institutions serve a wide range of learners — from Primary Seven leavers to O-Level and A-Level graduates — offering practical, hands-on training aimed at improving employability.

Under the government’s 2019 TVET Policy, technical and vocational education is central to Uganda’s goal of building a skilled workforce, supporting enterprise growth, and increasing household income and national productivity.