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OPINION

By Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi

Thursday April 11, this year went on unnoticed, yet we were marking 45 years since the fall of Idi Amin’s regime to Tanzania forces and Ugandan exiles, which took place in 1979. That war almost erased the towns of Masaka, Mbarara and Arua.

The Obote II government set up the Development and Rehabilitation Corporation (DRC) for the rehabilitation of the three towns, but no tangible achievement was realised except the developing of the plan for New Kumbu Housing Estate in Masaka city, that now houses the offices of the deputy RCC in charge of Kimanya Kabonera city division, Kampala University Masaka campus and Solohites houses, among others.

However, as a result of resilience of the Bannamasaka in general, coupled with the peace and security ushered in by NRM Government for the last 38 years, out of the 10 cities in Uganda, Masaka has the best infrastructural development, including tarmacked roads and street lights.

Masaka’s arcades and hotels don’t belong to the Madhvanis or Mehtas, but to locals that include Haji Muto and Hajat Brovad. Now that Masaka is a city, experts from Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development advised that we have a public university.

When the Ministry of Education and Sports officials came to take over community secondary schools as government aided through the universal secondary education programme, Bwala SSS, St Bruno Sserunkuuma SSS, St Jude Vocational School and St Bernadate SSS were agreed upon. But, I and the then deputy mayor, Inspector Achilles Mawanda, requested for a public university, which the officials accepted provided that a minimum of 20 acres of land was available for the project.

Mr Mawanda suggested that the Kingdom of Buganda or Masaka Diocese could provide such land. I also wondered why Muteesa I Royal University with its main campus in Masaka, is not turned into a public university. The officials promised to talk to their superiors who would talk to Mmengo.

However, as she was presiding over the graduation of 600 students at the Masaka Presidential Industrial Hub on Monday April 29, 2025 at Ndegeya campus, Minister for Presidency Mrs Milly Babirye Babalanda promised to turn the hub into a university with practical skills. She was so delighted to hear that President Yoweri Museveni and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Janet Museveni, have intentions of turning the 18 industrial hubs in 18 traditional regions of Uganda, into public universities with practical skills.

Students were awarded certificates equivalent to the O’level certificate in bricklaying and concrete practice, carpentry and joinery, welding and metal fabrication, bakery and confectionery, hairdressing as well as leather processing (shoemaking).

They practically demonstrated to the minister the skills they had acquired when those who graduated in tailoring and design demonstrated that their fabrics which were of cotton and African bitengi. I then remembered the then Pokino (Saza chief of Buddu), who requested the state minister for micro-finance, Haji Haruna Kasolo, to have “omwoga” for “okukomaga” (bark cloth making). It should be included at the Masaka presidential hub.

State House comptroller Jane Barekye oversees the programme in addition to her routine. So, a public university in Masaka city for the Greater Masaka sub-region, is no longer a remote dream, but real. We should, however, collectively ensure that it does not become a white elephant.

The writer is a journalist and deputy resident city commissioner for Masaka in charge of Kimanya Kabonera city division