The High Court has dismissed an application filed by Henry Gavin Mukalazi, a graduate of King Ceasor University, who had challenged the decision denying him medical internship placement.
Mukalazi had sued the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) after it declined to recognise his academic qualifications, effectively blocking his deployment for internship despite completing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) in 2023.
Court proceedings revealed that Mukalazi gained admission into the medical programme using a Bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Ultrasound from Ernest Cook Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, obtained in 2016.
However, the court found that the ultrasound degree itself was based on a certificate in Comprehensive Nursing, which did not meet the minimum academic requirements for admission into a bachelor’s degree programme in Uganda.
In its ruling, the court upheld NCHE’s decision, agreeing that the academic progression did not comply with established standards and therefore invalidated the basis upon which Mukalazi was admitted into medical school.
The dismissal means Mukalazi will not be eligible for internship placement unless he regularizes his academic credentials in line with national education requirements.
The ruling reinforces the importance of adhering to proper academic pathways in professional training, particularly in critical fields such as medicine.
