By Mike Rwothomio

Kyambogo University held an admissions ceremony on Friday, 23 October 2026, marking a further milestone in welcoming new students into higher education.

The event highlighted the continuing expansion of opportunities at its Paidha Campus for learners in the West Nile sub-region.

The university’s presence in Paidha is enabling students from Zombo, Nebbi, Pakwach and neighboring districts to pursue university education closer to home.

This development supports teacher education, agricultural education, business skills development and human-resource capacity building in the Greater Nebbi sub-region, comprising Zombo, Nebbi and Pakwach districts.

Dr. Peter Wanyama Obanda, Dean of the School of Management and Entrepreneurship, represented the Vice Chairperson at the ceremony held at the Paidha Campus in Zombo.

He thanked parents, university management and district administrations for the trust placed in the institution.

“We want to thank the management, the district administration, members of the press and the parents for trusting us with your children so that we can be able to have knowledge and skills from Kyambogo University. Thank you very much,” he said.

Dr. Wanyama reminded the newly admitted students of the importance of the admissions ceremony in university culture: “This is arguably the most important ceremony initiating you into the university culture. You’re going to swear allegiance to the Vice Chancellor.”

Thousands of newly admitted students from across Kyambogo University’s campuses, including the main campus in Kampala, Paidha in Zombo (West Nile), Bushenyi in western Uganda and Soroti in eastern Uganda participated in the 25th and 26th admissions ceremonies at their respective sites.

The ceremonies were coordinated from the main campus in Kampala, with upcountry campuses joining online.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Eli Katunguka-Rwakishaya and the university management formally admitted the freshers of the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 academic years.

At the Paidha Campus, Dr. Wanyama commended the students for choosing Kyambogo University as a pioneer institution.

Dr. Godfrey Bagonza, Head of the Department at the Centre for Distance Learning, representing the Director of the Institute for Distance Learning, e-Learning and Learning Centres, praised the Paidha community and the wider West Nile region for embracing the university.

The Paidha Campus occupies more than 70 hectares of land and offers both pre-service and in-service entry routes.

 Pre-service programmes for students joining after Senior Six currently include the Bachelor of Education (Primary) with 13 students, the Bachelor of Business Administration with 10 students, and the Bachelor of Vocational Studies (Agriculture with Education) with six students.

In-service programmes, primarily for serving teachers upgrading their qualifications, include the Diploma in Education (Primary), Bachelor of Education (Primary), Diploma in Special Needs Education, Bachelor of Special Needs Education and Bachelor of Education (Secondary).

These programmes currently enrol 407 students.

“Our vision is to make the Paidha a model campus in the country, where we need to establish the agriculture department, the agriculture faculty. We will be very rich. We shall have demonstration gardens here, demonstration farms, animal production units where people can come and learn,” Dr. Bagonza said.

He added that the university is engaging the district agricultural department to build mutually beneficial partnerships.

The establishment of the campus is widely regarded as a significant development for the region, reducing the traditional costs of travel, accommodation and living expenses associated with studying at distant institutions.

Dr. Dennis Kapiata, Deputy Chief of the Paidha Learning Centre, commended the Government of Uganda and the people of West Nile for their enthusiasm in welcoming and supporting the institution.

“The government of Uganda has brought a game changer. It has brought an institution from Kampala to here on your doorstep. So we want to continue to ask the parents, the stakeholders, to utilize this opportunity… [it] helps you to cut the costs of hostels in Kampala, cut the costs of food in Kampala, cut the dangers of… knocking your kid on the Kampala street,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to enrol more students so they can obtain Kyambogo University qualifications in a spacious environment with the fresh air of the Zombo hills.

In May 2026, the university announced three additional undergraduate programmes for the Paidha Campus, Bachelor of Education (Primary), Bachelor of Vocational Agriculture with Education, and Bachelor of Business Administration to widen opportunities for A-Level leavers seeking full-time university education from the 2026/2027 academic year.

New student Stephen Oyirwoth, enrolled on the Bachelor of Primary Education programme, expressed gratitude: “We started from nursery up to this time. It’s a milestone. So I want to thank God for helping us, for helping me to join this campus.”

Natukudde Fahima, another fresher on the Bachelor of Education (Primary) programme who travelled from Kawempe in Kampala, described the campus as “a very good environment with fresh air and the breeze. We have accommodation which is very cheap… There is a lot of shade where you can sit, enjoy, even revise books… We have very nice internet network… at the very cheapest prices.”

The Paidha Campus is located on an approximately 80.9-hectare site in Dwonga Ward, Paidha Town Council, Zombo District. It began operations in 2024, initially focusing on in-service teacher education programmes, including diploma-level training for primary and secondary school teachers, and has since expanded its academic offerings.Dr. Peter Wanyama Obanda, Dean of the School of Management and Entrepreneurship, represented the Vice Chairperson at the ceremony held at the Paidha Campus in Zombo.Staff members and a student pose for a photo at Paidha CampusKyambogo University Holds Admissions Ceremony as Paidha Campus Expands Access to Higher Education

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at Zoomer Africa, your number one grassroot information hub for African news, trends and updates.