Kyambogo vice chancellor candidates face Senate

Acting vice chancellor of Kyambogo University, Prof Elly Katunguka. Photo by Juliet Kasirye

All five candidates that were shortlisted for the position of Kyambogo University's Vice Chancellor (VC), are set to meet the University Senate on Tuesday, New Vision has learnt.

According to sources, the candidates who were interviewed mid last month by the Search Committee headed by Dr. Mary Muhenda, went through to the next level.

New Vision however could not ascertain the scores each candidate got as Muhenda's known phone went unanswered.

The candidates include the acting Vice Chancellor, Prof Eli Katunguka, Makerere University Business School's deputy principal Prof Geoffrey Bakunda and Prof Aaron Wanyama, the former dean Faculty of Science at (KYU).

Wanyama was dropped in the previous process but bounced back to compete for the university's top job.

The current search process also attracted new applicants who are Dr. Samuel Baker Kucel, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (VC) Busitema University and Umar Ahmad Kasule, an associate professor at Islamic University in Uganda.

Established in 2003 by the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, efforts to get a substantive vice chancellor for Kyambogo have in the recent past failed.

A vice chancellor is responsible for the academic, administrative and financial affairs of the university. Other roles are supervising the university, attending government meetings and carrying out other duties.

In the absence of the chancellor, the vice chancellor has the power to preside over ceremonial assemblies of the university and confer degrees and other academic titles and distinctions of the university.

Katunguka, the institution's current acting vice chancellor however has for a long time doubled as the acting vice chancellor and the deputy vice chancellor of the university.

The deputy vice chancellor in charge of academic affairs handles academic advancements of the university, oversees the quality of teaching and ensures graduation of students is done on time among other roles.