'We are committed': Construction of Bunyoro University set to begin

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Construction of the first public university in the Bunyoro sub-region is set to commence with phase one, with the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) Engineering Brigade assigned to carry out the project.

This follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) involving officials from the education and defence ministries, at Embassy House in Kampala on Friday.

Upon completion, Bunyoro University, to be built on a 100-acre piece of land in Buhimba Town Council in Kikuube district, will become the 11^th public university in Uganda.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Sports, Dr. Kedrance Turyagyenda and Prof. Samuel Kyamanya, Bunyoro University taskforce chairperson, sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the UPDF brigade for the construction of Bunyoro University. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba)

Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa, the chairperson of the Bunyoro University Taskforce Management Committee, said sh10 billion has been availed for the initial construction phase, with the implementation scheduled to occur in a phased manner.

In total, about sh178 billion is expected to facilitate construction of four blocks of the university over the next three to four years.

“We have the bills of quantities, architectural diagrams and structural designs in place. The MoU contains a master plan and agenda for specific phases. This allows the works to be phased based on our available funds,” said Kyamanywa.

He added that the project will start with one main campus, with room for scaling up if the funds are availed.

He called on the Government to provide timely funding to ensure the project is completed within the timelines stipulated in the agreement, also appealing for support in protecting the trees in areas of the land that are not immediately affected by the construction.

The funds will also cover complementary constructions like road networks and drainage systems.

Construction is expected to begin in November once the site has been handed over to the UPDF.

The process to build Bunyoro University started in 2022, when a task force was set up and a number of activities, including setting up academic programmes, put in place since then.

During the MoU signing ceremony, Dr Kedrace Turyagenda, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports, said the ministry is committed to ensuring that the funding for the construction of the university is available.

"This may be progressive, but it is a commitment of Government," she said.

Turyagenda also said the new university is expected to expand regional education opportunities with improved access to university education for people in the sub-region.

She credited President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni as key pillars in ensuring that the university is set up to improve the quality of life of Ugandans in the region.

Col. Silas Kamanda, the Deputy Director of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, pledged to work closely with the task force to ensure that the university is set up in time for the people of Bunyoro to start benefiting from it.