The Taskforce Management Committee (TMC) for the establishment of a public university in Bunyoro on Friday briefed Members of Parliament (MPs) from the sub-region on the progress made so far.
During the meeting at Kabalega Resort Hotel in Hoima, the task force chairperson and vice chancellor, Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa, said significant milestones had been achieved in setting up the institution.
These include securing land, opening access roads to the university site, developing the university’s master plan, and drafting policies and academic programmes.
“I urge the public to appreciate the process of establishing a public university,” Kyamanywa said.
“It begins with the Minister of Education and Sports appointing a task force. Part of the task force’s responsibilities includes securing land, developing policies, preparing the master plan, and designing academic programmes. We have completed these tasks and also opened access roads to the university site.”
He noted that the project has now entered a critical phase, with the next step being the procurement of a contractor to construct the university’s initial facilities.
“Now that we have developed the academic programmes, master plan, policies, and secured land, the next step is to procure a contractor,” Kyamanywa said.
“We are considering the UPDF Engineers Brigade, National Enterprise Corporation, and the National Housing and Construction Company. The best bidder will be selected to undertake the construction.”
Kyamanywa urged the MPs to lobby Parliament to allocate sufficient funds in the next financial year to support the construction of the first phase of infrastructure.
“We hope to hand over the construction site to the contractor in April 2026,” he added. “The contractor will be given 15 months to complete the initial structures so that we can begin.”
The vice chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Grace Bantebya Kyomuhendo, clarified that funds for establishing the university are currently managed by the Ministry of Education and Sports because the institution is still under development.
“Some people have asked why, if the Government has granted Bunyoro a public university, it does not receive funds directly,” she said.
“The responsibility of establishing a public university lies with the Ministry of Education and Sports. We are still a project under the ministry and therefore cannot have an independent vote at this stage. We are not yet fully established.”
She explained that obtaining an independent budget vote comes at the end of the process of setting up a university, once the National Council for Higher Education is satisfied that all requirements have been met.
Kyomuhendo added that establishing a public university typically takes about seven years from the time a task force is formed, noting that the TMC has already made substantial progress in less than three years.
“Establishing a university is a process, and you cannot skip any of the required steps. Each stage takes time,” she said.
“We are actually moving very fast. We are building a unique institution that will help address challenges in our communities. Students will spend part of their time working directly within those communities.”
Speaking on behalf of the MPs, the chairperson of the Bunyoro Parliamentary Caucus, Jacob Karubanga, pledged to lobby Parliament to allocate the necessary funds to facilitate its establishment.
