By Wafula Malik
Six months ago, the outgoing National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Executive Director Prof John Asibo Opuda duly wrote to his line Minister Janet Museveni notifying her about the impending expiry of his contract as CEO. He indicated that he was ready to continue serving in case the appointing authority was pleased to keep him around longer at the Kyambogo-based regulatory Council. However, in what indicated the appointing authority’s indifference towards him, Prof Opuda never got any feedback from State House and his contract finally expired last week but one. Sources say this has created serious uncertainty at the all-important NCHE based in Kyambogo.
In his tenure, incorruptible Opuda took no prisoners in his approach to things. He insisted on firmly implementing many decisions all aimed at enforcing high standards including the controversial Busoga University closure. The BU closure rattled many powerful lobbyists including Speaker Rebecca Kadaga who always comes in handy in speaking to the President to influence such sensitive appointments. Even in the private sector, many private University proprietors (considering themselves NRM diehards) were never comfortable with the high regulatory standards Prof Opuda rightly insisted on. Some of these Universities are owned by guys who consider themselves strong cadres of the Museveni political system. It remains to be seen how the minister Janet Kataha and her technocrats are going to go about resolving the ongoing uncertainty at NCHE whose high standards of regulating education explain why many neighboring countries consider Uganda’s education the best in the region. This has always brought in significant foreign exchange from foreign students who have always paid tuition fees in dollars. We rang Prof Opuda who confirmed expiry of his contract and said the matter was now beyond him. “Yes that is true but I have nothing to do about it because I’m not the appointing authority. I don’t appoint myself. Maybe I have done my part and its time to move on. You know I have served my country for over 40 years,” said Opuda who refused to answer questions related to the negative impact the resultant vacuum is likely to create at the NCHE. For comments, reach us on 0703164755.
