Ministry Summons Lira University Leaders as Leadership Crisis Deepens

LCC TV NEWS

Kampala, Uganda – July 8, 2026 – The Ministry of Education and Sports has summoned top officials of Lira University to an urgent meeting in Kampala tomorrow, as a protracted leadership dispute threatens to destabilize the public institution.

Those summoned include Assoc. Prof. Okaka Opio Dokotum, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs); Prof. Jasper Watson Ogwal Okeng, the Vice Chancellor; the University Council Chairperson; and other council members.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of a legal challenge by Prof. Dokotum, who is contesting the decision not to renew his term as Deputy Vice Chancellor. The Lira Chief Magistrate’s Court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on the matter this Friday, July 10, 2026.

The leadership standoff at the 11-year-old university escalated when Vice Chancellor Prof. Ogwal Okeng appointed Senior University Librarian Dr. Andrew Ojulong as acting vice chancellor, bypassing Prof. Dokotum, who is the substantive deputy vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

The University Council revoked Dr. Ojulong’s appointment on May 29, 2026, citing the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, which stipulates that in the absence of the vice chancellor, the deputy vice chancellor for Academic Affairs shall act. The decision triggered a public confrontation, with Prof. Ogwal Okeng challenging the council's authority via a staff communication.

Court Proceedings

The legal dispute centers on Prof. Dokotum’s application for enforcement of fundamental human rights, challenging the decision to open his position to competition rather than renewing his contract through a performance appraisal process.

According to court documents, Lira University’s legal team has argued that the Chief Magistrate’s Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter, asserting that only the High Court has the mandate to handle such cases. They have also contended that the interim injunction issued on June 30, 2026, was granted illegally due to jurisdictional issues.

Prof. Dokotum’s legal team had requested an extension of the injunction, which lapsed today. However, the Chief Magistrate has indicated that the ruling on Friday will address both the jurisdictional question and the substantive issues.

Prof. Dokotum has maintained that his reappointment is protected under Section 32 of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, which provides for renewal based on performance evaluation without competition from new applicants. The university’s legal department has advised that the position should be opened to a formal search process.

The University Council has since granted Prof. Dokotum a three-month contract extension effective July 1, 2026, to allow time for a transition and for the vice chancellor to complete the appraisal process.

The Ministry’s intervention signals growing concern over governance at the public university, which attained full autonomous status in 2015. Tomorrow’s meeting in Kampala is expected to address both the immediate leadership impasse and the broader governance issues at the institution.