Prime Minister Nabbanja restores hope on Bunyoro University demands

HOIMA – The Ugandan Prime Minister, Robina Nabbajja has revealed that the issues regarding the establishment of a University in Bunyoro is in the pipeline.

President Museveni recently okayed the construction of Bunyoro University after meeting legislators from the sub-region who had for long advocated for the establishment of a public university in the area.

While on his campaign trail in 2020, President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni told the people of Bunyoro to offer him 400 acres of land to have the university constructed in the area.

This was after political leaders of Bunyoro and Kingdom officials asked the government to establish a university in the region.

The leaders claimed that lack of a university in the area had denied many people in Bunyoro, mostly those from poor families, from attaining higher education.

After the President’s demand for 400 acres of land, Kingdom officials and political leaders at different levels started looking for the land and organized meetings with the president where he accepted to construct Bunyoro University.

Bunyoro is one of the three major sub-regions without a public university. The others are Karamoja and Bugisu and the President had over the last three presidential campaigns promised the sub-region a public university.

In her last week visit to the Bunyoro region, the Prime Minister said, the Bunyoro University issue is to be addressed adding that the committee which was selected to spearhead the university establishment is before the president for approval.

“The issues of the university is before the President; we are waiting for him to approve the names of the committee which we gave him that will govern the university. After the approval, the Minister of Education will come up with the bill in parliament seeking for the establishment of this university; I want to tell you that we are on the right track” said Nabbanja.

The Prime Minister was in Hoima City to officiate the oil and gas opportunity dialogue organized by Dr. Lawrence Bategeka, the former Hoima Municipality MP to mark seven years of operation of Glory Summit Hotel.

The dialogue will be held under the theme “Promoting local content and tourism in the development of oil and gas sector.”

She commended Bategeka for organizing the dialogue and called on leaders in Bunyoro to unite and have one voice to advocate for the issues affecting Bunyoro.

During the dialogue, the Prime Minister Robina Nabbanja warned government officials against engaging in any form of corruption. She vowed to deal with any corrupt official to ensure better service delivery in the country.

She noted corrupt officials are enemies of development since corruption reduces accessibility to services such as health, education and employment among others. She also described absenteeism and absconding from duties as corruption.

Dr Bategeka, called on the government to advocate for local content in Bunyoro region.

He says, the oil and gas sector is creating several opportunities, adding that there is need to empower the people of Bunyoro, mostly the youth and women to benefit from the sector.

He warned the people of Bunyoro against abandoning other sectors in favor of oil and gas. He notes that as the country heads to the production of oil and gas, many people have put their focus only on this sector.

He notes that, such anxiety is likely to affect other sectors such as agriculture, tourism, hospitality industry and fishing among others.

The Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Prime Minister, Andrew Byakutaga called on the government to have special planning for the Bunyoro region.

He further said, the increased influx, if not planned for some parts of Bunyoro will turn the peri urban areas into slums.

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