A JOURNEY of a thousand miles, they say, begins with one step. Transformed from a secondary school, Lugazi University opened its doors to students over the weekend.
Located 42km on the Kampala-Jinja highway, many wonder why the university was started away from the city centre, where most universities are concentrated.
“There is a lot of noise in Kampala. We wanted a place that would give students a good learning environment,” says Dr. John Murumu, the acting vice-chancellor.
The university is located in one of the undulating hills of Lugazi town. Standing on 175 acres, the university is surrounded by vegetation, comprising trees and sugar plantations belonging to the Sugar Corporation of Uganda.
The university structures once housed Ntinda View College, Lugazi branch, but with the help of the education and sports ministry, Alfred Higenyi, the college’s director, decided to set up the second university in Mukono district. Currently, Higenyi is the university’s chairman board of trustees.
“Many universities have failed to live up to expectation. Many graduates cannot speak English fluently or write application letters and proposals. We want to produce students who can analyse hindrances to development and find solutions,” says Murumu.
The university motto is “Strive for Prominence”, Murumu says.
On June 13, 2006, a meeting to prepare for the birth of the university was held at Ntinda View College Kampala branch.
Stephen Maloba, the former commissioner in the education ministry and Faustinus Higwira, the former principal of Shimoni Teachers’ College, welcomed the idea. A taskforce was formed on June 21, comprising 32 members, to start the university.
Maloba spear-headed the preparations and was charged with advising the board of trustees on the way forward.
On the same day, a consultative forum was held with ministers. Among them was Beatrice Wabudeya, the Minister for the Presidency, Dorothy Hyuha (minister without portfolio), Gabriel Opio, (Education and Sports) Fred Ruhindi (Justice) and Simon D’Ujanga (Energy).
On September 13, 2006, a provisional university project council, headed by Maloba, was set up. It was agreed that top administrative officers be appointed. These included the chancellor, the vice-chancellor, two deputy vice-chancellors, one in charge of academics and the other responsible for administration and finance.
With a vision “to be a centre of unique and quality higher education”, the university tried to get some of the most experienced academicians to fill the top slots. Chancellor, Prof. George Kirya, the vice-chancellor, Prof. Matthew Odada, deputy vice-chancellor finance and administration, John Murumu, while Dr. Denis Okello Atwaru, became the deputy vice-chancellor in charge of academics. Ronald Hiirya is the students’ dean.
The university’s mission is “To advance the generation of men and women who add value to society’s wellbeing and face the challenges of the 21st Century and beyond.
Licence granted In October 2006, the National Council for Higher Education granted the project council permission to make preparations to start the university.
“We received a license two weeks ago after which we advertised our programmes and enrolment is underway,” says Atwaru.
The university is offering degree, diploma and certificate courses.
“We currently have two faculties — humanities and science and information technology,” Atwaru says.
There are 11 bachelors courses in the department of arts and social sciences, six in education, eight in business management, four in information science, five in science and a bachelors of laws.
The university will also offer 25 diploma programmes and 10 certificate courses.
“We are the only private university offering basic sciences,” Murumu says.
Most degree programmes range from sh600,000 to sh900,000 for Ugandans. Students from East Africa will pay between $550 (sh951,5000) and $900 (sh1.6m), while those from elsewhere will part with between $938 (sh1.6m) and $1688 (sh2.9m).
Diploma courses will cost between sh350,000 and sh500,000 for Ugandans, $350 (sh605, 500) and $400 (sh692, 000) for East Africans and $656 (sh1.2m) and $750 (sh1.3m) for foreigners.
Over 1, 000 application forms have been submitted for teaching slots.
Atwaru says the university wants each department to have a professor, assistant professor, four senior lecturers and six assistants.
“The lecturers must have vast experience because we are not experimenting with anything here,” Murumu says.
Construction of lecture rooms, hostels and sports facilities is underway. At the campus, men can be seen either laying bricks, roofing and painting buildings, or fitting glass shutters.
“Construction of two hostels to accommodate 1,000 students is nearly complete,” says Murumu.
Computer literacy is one discipline that all universities are striving to offer; Lugazi will not be left behind here.
“All our students will leave the campus with the full knowledge of most computer packages,” says Atwaru.
Lectures at the university kicked off on Monday.
“We have 800 degree students and 400 for diplomas and certificate courses,” says Atwaru.
“I applied for mechanical engineering at Makerere, but was given Bachelor of Science (External),” says Emmanuel Tabuley, 25.
The former student of City High School says his sponsors told him to apply for a degree in Procurement and Logistics at Lugazi University.
Some universities opened decades ago, will Lugazi catch up with them? Only time will tell.
