MUK wants more funding to construct modern oil laboratories

By John Semakula

As the exploration of oil continues to take shape in Uganda, the department of Geology and Petroleum Studies at Makerere University is seeking more funding from government to establish modern oil training laboratories.

Wycliffe Kawule, a lecturer at the department told New Vision that with more funding from government, the department will be able to become a school and introduce new academic disciplines in the sector.

Kawule made the appeal while leading a group of fourth year Makerere University students during a study tour at Icon Industries in Kampala on Thursday.

Icon Industrial Services deals in diverse fields including oil and gas services.

The company, studies rocks to establish whether beneath them there is oil for extraction.

Kawule noted that equipping the department with modern laboratories to train oil experts within Uganda will reduce the huge costs parents incur today to sponsor their children abroad for oil courses.

Kawule explained that a course in oil studies abroad could cost a student about sh300m. He wondered whether there are parents in Uganda who can afford to raise that amount. 

He noted that currently Uganda is relying mainly on expatriates in its oil sector.

But the assistant commissioner in charge of communication at the Ministry of Education, Patrick Muinda told New Vision that the University was recently allocated $30m under the higher education science and technology project which they could prioritize to build modern oil industries.     

Despite the fact that oil prospects have existed for decades in the country, Makerere University established the oil department only in 2009 and has so far graduated only three batches.

Kawule revealed that whereas the department now has a big number of experts to teach in special areas, the university has no modern laboratories for practical.

He revealed that they are currently relying on private oil companies to admit their students for internship something he said was not very convenient.

About the fears that oil graduates may float after the mineral is depleted, Kawule argued that it will take close to 100 years to deplete it.  He also explained that the university is training oil graduates for the global market.  

The company’s chairman board of directors, Godfrey Kirumira pledged to continue working with Makerere University to train experts who will work in the oil sector.

But he also appealed to government to support companies which are involved in training oil experts by promoting them in the neighbouring countries. Kirumira said that the company is the first of its own in Uganda.