Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Education and Sports Committee of parliament has discouraged the government from acquiring 100 acres of land for Bunyoro University at 4.9 billion Shillings. The land located in Buhimba Town Council, Hoima City was offered to the government by Dr. Henry Wamani, a resident of Hoima on the condition that Shillings 4.9 billion be paid as compensation for his pine tree plantation.
According to the Chairperson of Bunyoro Parliamentary Caucus, Jacob Karubanga, the offer includes 20 acres, which can be accessed for immediate development. He explained that the 80 acres can be released based on two conditions; if the university can wait for 15 years until the trees are harvested, the government will own the land at no cost, if the land is to be utilised before 15 years, the owner has to be paid Shs4.9 billion for the trees.
“Infrastructure development can take up to 15 years and this land has a free-hold type of tenure. It was rated the most suitable piece of land by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development for hosting the university,” he said. This offer, however, drew mixed reactions from the Education and Sports Committee, which interfaced with the Bunyoro University Task Force Management Committee on Wednesday. Busia Municipality MP, Geoffrey Macho said that the cost of the trees is exorbitant, and advised the government to consider looking for fairly priced land.
“A university can be situated anywhere in Bunyoro; we cannot buy trees more expensively than the cost of land,” he said. Entebbe Municipality MP, Michael Kakembo said that whereas the land is purportedly free of charge, government will end up buying it expensively. “He (Wamani) is telling us the land is free but at the same time telling us to buy his trees. The land is not free and it is expensive,” Kakembo said.
Napore West MP, Phillips Lokwang expressed concern over the possibility of Dr. Wamani violating the agreement after 15 years. He recounted a case in the Soroti district, wherein he said that a good Samaritan offered land for the construction of a school but years later reclaimed his land.
Namayingo Woman MP, Margaret Makoha urged the task force to ensure that the land is titled, giving government ownership. “Donated land without a title is contentious. We have the willingness to call on government to invest but ownership is important,” she said.
The Committee Chairperson, James Kubeketerya asked the task force to expedite the process of procuring land, saying that a decision to include it in the 2025/2026 financial year budget depends on availability of land. “The Committee says Bunyoro should be given money but the Ministry says Bunyoro has no land. Before we handle the Ministerial Policy Statements, we should have heard from you,” Kubeketerya said.
Grace Bantebya, a member of the taskforce called on the committee to urge the Ministry of Education to consider land purchase in the budget, saying that a decision will soon be made by the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE). “The Ministry of Education asked NCHE to assess the land, the report is ready and it will be presented soon. We cannot make any decision without that report,” said Bantebya. In 2021, President Museveni directed the Ministry of Education to establish and operationalise a public university in Bunyoro region.
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