HOIMA – The taskforce committee which was appointed by the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni to spearhead the establishment of the proposed Bunyoro University says they are struggling to find suitable land for its establishment.
While meeting different stakeholders in Bunyoro Sub-region recently at Kabalega Resort Hotel, the committee members said lack of land was a major problem delaying the much-needed project.
In 2021, a group of leaders from Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom met President Museveni and demanded a university for Bunyoro. During the meeting, President Museveni granted their demand on condition that they would provide land for the project.
According to the source, after the meeting with Museveni, the leaders cited several pieces of land which included the one of Burera Teachers’ College in Hoima City, which they informed Museveni about.
However, a taskforce committee headed by Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa to spearhead the project says most of the land identified for the establishment of the university has encumbrances.
For instance, a source said, land which was provided by Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom has squatters while the government seems not ready to give out the land at Burera Teachers’ College.
During the meeting of stakeholders on Friday, the Hoima East Member of Parliament, Dr. Patrick Isingoma Mwesiga called for a joint effort to solve the land problem, saying locals are anxious to see the university start.
“The committee has spent two years looking for land but nothing big has been achieved on ground. The issue of establishing the university has been on the table for very long,” he said.
Minister of State for Bunyoro Affairs, Jennifer Namuyangu Kacha said that the issue of land wouldn’t be a problem but the challenge is leaders politicising the initiative.
She noted that some two pieces of land in Masindi had been designated as suitable for the establishment of the university but leaders have failed to agree on which land should be given out for the university.
“I hear leaders are fighting in council about land, which land is government land. Can we live beyond ourselves? Let us stop looking at ourselves because you are a leader today, tomorrow you are not. Let us look at the big picture…let us sort out the land issue,” she said.
Charles Koojo, a consultant in physical planning proposed that the government should allocate a piece of land to the university from the 29 square miles of industrial land located in Kabaale Sub-county in Hoima district.
However, an official from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development said the land at Kabaale is already planned for a different project.
Lawrence Batengeka, the former Member of Parliament of Hoima City demanded to know if the university can start without a law [ instrument] supporting its establishment.
He noted that procedurally, an instrument has to be in place before university starts. “I think before we talk of starting the institution, we must have a law in place first. I am wondering if you are just hoodwinking Banyoro about establishing a university.,” he said.
Prof. Kyamanya in a brief interview told this reporter that the task force has visited over 10 pieces of land but no single land has been confirmed available for the establishment of the university.
For example, Masindi district council has resolved to give us land but they have failed to agree on which land they should give us,” he said, citing the district LCV chairman Cosmas Byaruhanga and the district speaker, Moses Kirya as some of the politicians in the district being at loggerheads.
Some of the land which has been identified include: Two pieces of land in Masindi district [ 127 acres of land in Kayanja village and 115 acres of land in Kihonda village].
Another land is in Buhimba town council in Kikuube district. The land measuring 100 acres was offered by Dr. Henry Wamani, a former lecturer at Makerere University on condition that the main campus of the proposed university be built on his land. He also needs compensation for the trees on the land.
Another land is located in Wampanga in Kitoba Sub-county Hoima district. It was offered by Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom but it has squatters.
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