Shs45 billion earmarked for the establishment of Bunyoro, Busoga Public Universities

Masindi: The government has earmarked 45 billion shillings for the establishment of Bunyoro and Busoga public universities.

This was disclosed by Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, the Prime Minister of Uganda, while presiding over the Thanksgiving ceremony of Dr. Balaam Barugahara, the State Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, held recently at Booma Grounds Masindi.

Nabbanja assured the people of Bunyoro that the funds for the establishment of Bunyoro and Busoga universities have been allocated in the 2024/2025 financial year budget.

‘’President Museveni directed that the funds for the establishment of the above universities be allocated in the 2024/2025 financial year budget, and the finance minister has allocated the funds in this budget,’’ she said.

Nabanja noted that in the case of Bunyoro, as leaders, they agreed for the university to be allocated at the center of the region, which is Hoima City, particularly at Bulera Core PTC.

‘’Bulera Core PTC has 43 acres of land with no encumbrances, and this land can be used for the establishment of Bunyoro Public University,’’ she added.

Bunyoro Public University and co-existence with Bulera Core PTC

On Thursday, April 4, 2024, Okello Humphreys, the principal of Bulera Core PTC, wrote a letter and addressed it to the permanent secretary at the ministry of education and sports, indicating that they had offered 20 acres of land for the establishment of Bunyoro Public University.

The letter stated that the board, sitting on April 4, 2024, under minute No. 04/04/GC/2024, resolved that 20 acres of land be given out for the establishment of Bunyoro Public University.

The board also resolved that Bulera Core PTC retains 23.6 acres of land, and the two institutions are to be supported in acquiring land titles as a guarantee of ownership.

‘’The purpose of the letter was to request that the ministry of education and sports use this information to facilitate the process for the establishment of the university and the continuity of Bulera Core PTC,’ it stated in part.

Identifying land for the establishment of Bunyoro Public University

In July 2023, the Bunyoro University taskforce management committee and a team from the ministry of land, housing, and urban development started evaluating pieces of land offered for the construction of the Bunyoro Public University.

Some of the pieces of land surveyed included the land at Bulera Core PTC Hoima, measuring 43 acres; Dr. Wamani’s land at Buhimba-Hoima, measuring 100 acres; and Kihonda land in Masindi, measuring 100 acres.

Other pieces of land were Uganda Cooperative College, Kigumba, measuring 100 acres; Birembo War Memorial Technical Institute, Kakumiro, measuring 10 acres; Nakuyazo Forestry Reserve, measuring 3.48 sq km; and the Busana site for China Communications Construction Company, Kibaale Town, measuring 66 acres.

The main activities carried out included mobilization and sensitization of local leaders, confirmation of area and ownership, opening of boundaries of land with titles, making surveys of land, establishing the feasibility and evaluation of land and assets, determining the suitability of land for the university, and preparing a report by the team from the ministry of lands.

The team comprised the physical planners, surveyors, valuers, a university taskforce, and a team from the education ministry.

The team proposed the Hoima campus to host health science, science education, and petrochemicals; the Kibaale campus to host agricultural and environmental sciences; and Greater Masindi to be the center for technology and petroleum engineering.

It is also planned that Bunyoro University will have different innovation hubs for promoting commercialization and value addition based on natural resources.

Bunyoro is one of the sub-regions in Uganda that doesn’t have a public university.

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