KIU Hosts 15th Consortium of Uganda University Libraries Meeting

By Hattie Wright

Kampala International University (KIU) hosted the 15th Annual Research Dissemination Meeting of the Consortium of Uganda University Libraries (CUUL) on July 24, 2026. The event brought together head librarians from leading institutions including Makerere University, Kabale University, Cavendish University, and several others.

Held under the theme “Celebrating Achievement: From Advocating for Access to Recognising Impact in Supporting Learning and Teaching," the meeting focused on strengthening Uganda’s academic libraries to deliver world-class access to vital research information.

CUUL plays a key role in facilitating collaboration and resource sharing among member libraries. Its core objectives include negotiating affordable joint subscriptions to electronic scholarly resources, building professional capacity for information staff, and promoting open, innovative research visibility.

The event was officially opened by KIU’s Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs, Dr. Jacob Ashibi, who welcomed participants and commended CUUL’s efforts in expanding access to information. He emphasized the need for innovative approaches to meet the evolving demands of higher education.

CUUL Executive Chairperson Andrew Ojulong reiterated the consortium’s mission to expand access to global resources, provide training, and support academic libraries across the country. He highlighted equitable access to cutting-edge technologies, particularly reliable internet connectivity, as a major challenge.

“We ensure that library budgets are sufficient to meet these needs,” Ojulong stated.

He explained that KIU was chosen as host because of its benchmark-setting library facilities and its reputation for producing some of the country’s finest librarians. He urged other universities to join the consortium, stressing the importance of collaboration in advancing research and learning in Uganda.

KIU’s Chief Librarian Assoc. Prof. Muneer Ahmad underscored the need for universities to subscribe to CUUL, citing the high cost of electronic resources.

“CUUL has provided KIU with e-resources for the library. I have also discussed with them to establish databases so that we can subscribe to all the resources. All school libraries should subscribe to e-resources because they are very expensive,” he said.

The meeting provided a valuable platform for collaboration among librarians, researchers, publishers, and policymakers from across the country. It concluded with stakeholders calling on government to offer tax exemptions on ICT equipment and library resources to further strengthen academic libraries.