The Education Ministry has set a June 2027 target for public universities to conclude the appointment of substantive vice-chancellors, aiming to end prolonged periods in which the offices are held in an acting capacity.

Beatrice Inyangala, the Principal Secretary for Higher Education and Research, said the Ministry was working with university councils to close the appointments before the end of the current academic year. She was speaking on Thursday, October 22, 2026, before the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee, which is examining Auditor-General’s reports for the 2024/2025 financial year.

MPs pressed the Ministry over leadership gaps in the universities and recurring lecturers’ strikes. Tindi Mwale, the Butere MP who chairs the committee, said officials serving in acting positions could be reluctant to make major decisions because of uncertainty over their future.

Inyangala said the government had been engaging university unions since 2025 to address their grievances through dialogue. She added that some issues raised by dons are under parallel discussion with the Public Service Commission.

The Universities Academic Staff Union, led by Secretary General Constantine Wasonga, has issued a seven-day strike notice over the government’s failure to implement a collective bargaining agreement.

The Principal Secretary did not give a specific deadline for concluding the union negotiations or provide details of the outstanding grievances.

The committee is scrutinising the Auditor-General’s findings for the 2024/2025 financial year.