President Yoweri Museveni has promised to provide the much-needed funds amounting to Shs1.5 billion to purchase land on which the first ever girls’ university will be constructed in Tororo district.
Land measuring 50 acres has already been identified by Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution according to His Royal Highness, Kwar Adhola – the King of the Jopadhola- Moses Stephen Owor.
Kwar Adhola Owor on Thursday led a delegation from Tororo for a meeting with Museveni at State House, Entebbe, where the matter took center stage.
“I can pay 500 million now and I will have a billion in the next budget, ” Museveni said.
The president however reminded the delegation that government’s policy is to have one public university per zone.
Bukedi zone already has Busitema University.
“We do not want to create a situation where we have two public universities in the same region yet other regions have not received any,” he said.
Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution has already identified partners from United States of America (USA) to help in the construction of the university which will be privately owned according to the State Minister for Defense, Oboth Oboth, who hails from Tororo.
The land, according to Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution, was secured from the Benedictine Fathers of Tororo but the catholic church had threatened to sell it to other high paying interested parties after the kingdom failed to raise the funds.
According to Owor, the institution had proposed to upgrade and transform Tororo Girls School into a university, but the school board of directors opposed the idea and advised them to look for land for the construction of a university in order to keep and restore the historical glory of one of the country’s top schools.
President Museveni also promised to buy three cars for the cultural institution; one for the King, the Prime Minister and a van to ease transportation challenges in the kingdom.
He said going forward, on top of the shs5 million allowances given to heads of cultural institutions monthly, government will provide cars to heads of cultural institutions every five years.
This was after his royal highness Owor informed the president that the car given to the institution 16 years ago is down beyond repair, causing him to miss important meetings in the kingdom and national functions.
“You have given me good advice. I think we should have a clear policy on kings-may be to give them new cars every five years; one vehicle for the cultural leader, one for the Prime Minister and a van for the others. I think that’s a good arrangement which the government can do automatically. They don’t need to ask. We should stop this ad hoc way and have a regular way,” Museveni said.
Museveni also resurrected his commitment to provide shs60 million per month to cultural institutions to run their activities so that they don’t burden their subjects with multiple taxation.
“We didn’t agree on collecting money from the public because we don’t want multiple taxation. It’s better we have a consolidated fund (money collected by the Central government) and we share. So, I will resume my effort on the issue of the shs60 million, so that the cultural leader gets shs 10 million and the rest is shared accordingly,” he said.
The Jwar Adhola thanked Museveni for championing development in Uganda.
“We have noticed the development that has followed your hard work and we want to reassure you of our support,” Owor said.
He also expressed gratitude to the president for spotting some talent from Tororo to be part of his government at high level in the appointment of among others; Okoth Ochola (Inspector General of Police), Asamo Grace (State Minister for Elderly and Disability), Oboth Oboth, Prof. Charles Mark Lwanga Olweny (Chancellor Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)), Dr. Tanga Odoi (Chairman, NRM Electoral Commission), Ofwono Opondo (Director of Uganda Media Center) and Charles Okoth Owor (Chairman of the Electricity Tribunal).
Kwar Adhola was accompanied by his Prime Minister, Richard Josel Obbo and ministers from the central government hailing from Bukedi subregion region.
