Prof. Openjuru, George Ladaah, the Vice-Chancellor of Gulu University, has said universities and other teaching institutions in Uganda are getting frustrated in their attempts to produce job creators with harsh treatment of the young innovators from institutions of learning by regulatory authorities such as Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Uganda Bureau of Standards, and Uganda Registration Service Bureau, among others.
Prof. Openjuru, a former Chairperson of the Uganda Vice-Chancellors Forum, said universities have adhered to the government’s guidance to produce job creators, although government regulatory bodies have not made it easy in their attempts to promote innovation.
“The entrepreneurial skills and job creation knowledge we impart in them are not being utilised since they are over-regulated, hence young innovators who are job creators get frustrated and become job seekers”. Prof. Openjuru remarked.
He remarked that the young innovators, without any protection, are taxed or asked to register their investments. According to Prof. Openjuru, if the government doesn’t counter the overregulation of young innovators, the dream of sustaining job creators shall be far-fetched.
The Vice-Chancellor made the remarks while receiving Prof. Patrick Okori, the Executive Secretary of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), on Monday,15th June 2026, when he had paid a courtesy call to the university management.
“Our partnership with RUFORUM over the years has also enhanced our visibility internationally, and many organisations are benchmarking with us, and we are grateful”. Said the Vice-Chancellor.
Prof. Okori told the university management that Gulu University graduates he has interfaced with are good at community mobilisation and, according to him, are an asset to the community transformational agenda of the university. He challenged Gulu University to continue to enforce the government’s vision and interest for producing graduates who are job creators and not job seekers.
He also informed the university that his institution has a plan to work with Gulu University closely on matters related to refugees.
Gulu University is currently among African Universities implementing TAGDeV.2.0 as a partner of RUFORUM and Mastercard Foundation.
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