President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni today presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for Bunyoro University, emphasizing the need for free education in government schools and the eradication of household poverty to ensure ordinary children benefit from higher education.
Speaking at the event in Kikuube District, the President urged leaders to implement free Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) to prevent school dropouts, particularly among children from poor families.
“Insist on free education for children in government schools and implement it. The rich can take their children to private schools, but those from poor families should have no excuse for dropping out,” he said.
He warned that without free education and economic empowerment at the household level, local children may not access Bunyoro University.
“If families are still poor, children will drop out of school. If they drop out, who will attend this university? You will find students from other regions because local children didn’t complete primary or secondary education. A university is not a marketplace, you must go through the education system to qualify,” he noted.
The President highlighted the need for families to support their children’s education beyond the limited government scholarships available.
“Even where free education has been implemented, only a limited number of high-performing students receive government sponsorship. The rest rely on family support, which means we must focus on developing homesteads economically,” he explained.
Focus on Relevant Courses:
President Museveni also advised university planners to prioritize courses that create employment opportunities. He shared lessons from establishing Mbarara University of Science and Technology, where he insisted on starting with medicine.
“A medical doctor cannot fail to get a job, whether here or abroad. That is why we started Mbarara University with medicine before adding science education and ICT,” he said.
He cautioned against offering courses with limited job prospects, especially for students from peasant families.
“It’s unfair to educate a child from a poor family in conflict resolution while others pursue fields that guarantee employment. Be careful about the courses you recommend for our children,” he advised.
President Museveni reminded leaders that when the NRM government took power, Uganda had only one public university Makerere which was producing just 80 doctors annually.
“According to the WHO, one doctor should serve 500 people. With Uganda’s population at 46 million, we need more doctors, he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to establishing a public university in each of the country’s 18 zones.
He also referenced Uganda’s stability compared to neighboring countries experiencing turmoil, attributing it to the government’s strategic prioritization.
“Some people claim that NRM has forgotten them, but they don’t understand prioritization. When we were fighting, we knew what to handle first. Today, because the economy has grown, we are addressing more issues, including expanding public universities,” he said.
The President assured Bunyoro that with petroleum revenues expected next year, more development projects will be realized.
“A Munyankole proverb says, Engabo yakyeli togyihera mwana mubazi: You don’t give a heavy shield to a weak child. We started Mbarara University when people opposed me, saying we should consolidate Makerere. But the concept of public universities is mine, and we shall continue expanding,” he emphasized.
He concluded by appreciating the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, for her patience and dedication to managing Uganda’s education sector.
Maama Janet thanked the stakeholders led by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja for their efforts in ensuring that the university dream becomes a reality.
“Your Excellency, the stakeholders of Bunyoro have keenly followed up the development of a public university for this Region, especially in the process of identifying suitable land to establish the campus. Your Excellency, in a special way, also let me recognize Canon Dr. Henry Wamani and his family who have sacrificially gifted this public university with the 100-acres of land upon which the campus for the university is to be established,” she said.
She added that the breaking of ground for the construction of a public university in Bunyoro Region is a testament to President Museveni’s vision of establishing a public university in each Zone based on the old colonial districts at the time.
“This vision will continue to be fulfilled – one zone at a time in a phased manner as resources become available. The establishment of a public university in the Bunyoro region will see this institution join the already existing and operational ten public universities,” the First Lady said.
“Through the Ministry of Education and Sports, the government has been supporting the process of establishing a public university in Bunyoro region since July 2022 when a Taskforce led by Professor Samuel Kyamanywa was constituted.”
To date, Maama Janet revealed that the government has invested Shs.6.4 billion in the preliminary processes of establishing a public university in Bunyoro region.
“These funds have enabled the Taskforce led by Professor Kyamanywa to develop eighteen academic programs for the university to utilize once the institution becomes operational. I am glad to note that all the programs developed are in the sciences,” she said.
“These 18 programs have already been approved by the National Council for Higher Education – the government agency that is responsible for quality assurance of the academic programs in all universities and other tertiary institutions in the country. The only obstacle still in the way is the availability of infrastructure and other supportive facilities that will then qualify the institution as an accredited public university by the National Council for Higher Education.”
Maama Janet further called upon the stakeholders of Bunyoro university to continue extending the support they have been giving to the government to see the realization of this institution as another outstanding public asset in Bunyoro region.
“Your Excellency, today’s milestone of breaking ground for the construction of the campus for a public university in Bunyoro region has been allocated Uganda Shillings Fifteen billion this financial year. Therefore, I call upon Prof. Kyamanywa and his team to ensure that no time is wasted in starting the procurement process for a competent contractor to undertake this construction work.”
The Chairperson of Bunyoro University Task Force that is overseeing the realization of the first public university in that area, Professor Samuel Kyamanywa explained that the university has been the long-awaited game changer to improve higher education for learners in the entire sub region.
The Kikuube District LC 5 chairperson, Mr. Peter Banura called for unity among the people of Bunyoro, especially leaders and rallied them to support government interventions regardless of their personal differences.
