Kanungu university ordered to close for 30 days

The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has halted the operations of Great Lakes Regional University (GLRU), in Kanungu for a month.

This was confirmed in a letter dated November 23, by NCHE’s Executive Director Prof Mary Okwakwol to the university’s Vice Chancellor.

According to Okwakwol, the decision to close GLRU was taken during a meeting held on November 22, where the council discussed non compliance issues at the university and decided that its operations be halted for 30 days.

“Please be informed that the decision to halt the operations of the university is to enable NCHE conduct a thorough investigation into the issues discussed in the meeting,” Okwakwol noted.

According to Okwakwol, the non compliance issues at the university included contested ownership of the university, poor governance and management of and other recurrent issues of non-compliance at the university among others.

Okwakwol further directed that the university’s management, staff and students vacate the university premises by 12 noon on Wednesday, November 24.

She added that the above members only return to the university after clearance and communication from NCHE.

“Furthermore, please note by copy of this letter that NCHE is requesting the Resident District Commissioner of Kanungu to provide security for the university property,” Okwakwol added.

The institution was founded in the early 2000s as a private "tertiary" institution of education, by Hamlet Kabushenga, the former member of parliament of Kinkizi East Constituency.

The university received accreditation from the UNCHE, under the name Great Lakes Regional College, in 2009.