Buhimba Technical; Hoima's new hidden wealth

Apr 11, 2016

The institute can accommodate 200 students at ago and there are plans to keep expanding it; based on its enrolment demands.

IT takes a journey of 20 kilometers on a murram road, out of Hoima town, in Western Uganda, to make it to Buhimba Technical Institute. Located 10 kilometers off the Hoima-Kyenjojo road, it offers unique scenery deep in the village where it is located.

After a long journey, through various villages, glamorous buildings, fenced off on a large chunk of land measuring to 100 acres, gets your attention. The new buildings, in this remote village sitting over a hill in Buhimba sub-county, sit on about 20 acres of land of this institute. 

It is the only institute of its stature in the district; save of the fact that there are other two privately owned institutes in the district.

 view of the classroom A view of the classroom

 The buildings are extremely magnificent.

The institute can accommodate 200 students at ago and there are plans to keep expanding it; based on its enrolment demands.

Great start

As of now, the institute is being run by Akoki Anyamo, from Tororo. He is a calm and very intelligent man, going by what he says and does.

"We are determined to make this institute the best ever in this Bunyoro sub-region," he says.

His deputy, Richard Okeng says that, "This institute is a real dream, come true; for the people in the community. It will offer skills to the local people and students from all parts of the country."

By closure of January this year, the institute had admitted 20 students, and more were still registering.

tudents at the reception awaiting their admission letters Students at the reception, awaiting their admission letters


The institute is well stocked, with machinery and furniture you would hardly find in certain universities in the country. The institute, at the time of the visit, had just received a consignment for metallic molding machines, hydraulic operated rolling machines, shearing machines and a massive assortment of other workshop equipment.

The institute was constructed with a loan from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries fund and the Government of Uganda at the tune of sh5.8 billion. Construction works at the institute were completed in 2015.

The institute will handle courses like building and concrete practice, carpentry and joinery, electrical installation and fitting, welding and metal fabrication, motor vehicle mechanics, agriculture, plumbing/pipe fitting, painting and decoration, home economics/tailoring and petroleum technology.

itchen at the institute Kitchen at the institute

At Buhimba Technical institute, students will acquire skills that will lead them to being awarded certificates and advanced certificates.

The institute has also been furnished with furniture, computers, and textbooks. The new infrastructure includes classrooms, relevant training workshops, administration blocks, multi-purpose halls, kitchens, staff housing, libraries, laboratories and student dormitories.

The institute is one of the nine other institutions that have been constructed in the country. On a bigger view, the government and donors invested sh200bn in constructing and renovating 25 technical vocational institutions in the country.

The Vocational Education project that was launched in 2013 and was  funded by the OPEC Fund for International Development the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Saudi Fund for Development, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

The Government contributed between 10 and 15 percent of the total budget, amounting to sh32bn to improve the state of the infrastructure in the government-aided institutions and to set up new ones.

Some of the new technical institutions, like Buhimba Technical Institute, are established are in the districts of Amuria, Hoima, Kamuli, Lwengo, Mukono, Nakasongola, Pader, Namutumba and Yumbe.

Others have been established in Adjumani, Lyantonde, Kiboga, Kyenjojo, and Bukedea districts.

heoad leading to the institute TheRoad leading to the institute


The new vocational technical institutes are expected to boost vocational education enrolment, provide training for teaching and technical staff and also develop new technical education curricula, textbooks and instructional materials.

Sixty per cent of Uganda's current population of 34 million, about 20 million, is below the age of 18. This population segment provides a potential national asset with a budding multiplier effect on our socio-economic transformation process.

Expectations, challenges

The principal says that with the great infrastructure, human resource and facilities, "This will erase the old mentality that these institutes are meant for failures. We need a country that has a new mass of youth who are committed to start jobs and support our economy," he says. 

The institute will also focus on educating girls in vocational skills acquisition. It probably partly explains why girls have a dormitory and the one for boys is yet to be set up. This explains why the principal is improvising housing them in one of the iron roofed and walled structure; which was being used by the construction firm that put up the institute, till a dormitory is constructed.

"We shall be improvising accommodation for the boys, as we wait for their dormitory to be constructed soon," he explains.

The institute also needs more teachers' houses, since it is remotely located in the village.

The people in the community are also optimistic that the institute will surely spring the sub-region to greater heights.

 Janet Nakayira, a resident in the neighbouring village and staff at the schools says, "We never used to have great and cheap institutes in the community. This new institute offers us a new ground to have our children well educated."

The institute is indeed a blessing, since the closet this community had was located 10 kilometres away and the other was in Hoima town; and were all privately owned and expensive, compared to this Government owned one. 

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