President Museveni breaks ground for Bunyoro University

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President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for Bunyoro University in Kikuube district.

While at it, he emphasized the need for free education in government schools and the eradication of household poverty to ensure ordinary children benefit from higher education.

President Yoweri Museveni and First lady receive a warm welcome to the event. (PPU)

Speaking at the event, Museveni 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.

The President 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."

Museveni also spoke of 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.

Ground breaking ceremony for Bunyoro University. (PPU)

'We need more doctors'

In his comments, the President also advised university planners to prioritize courses that create employment opportunities. 

He shared lessons from establishing Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), 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."

Museveni 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 also reminded leaders that when the NRM government took power in 1986, Uganda had only one public university (Makerere) which was producing just 80 doctors annually.

“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one doctor should serve 500 people. With Uganda’s population at 46 million, we need more doctors,” Museveni said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to establishing a public university in each of the country’s 18 zones.

Religious leaders present for the ground breaking ceremony for Bunyoro university. (PPU)

He also referenced Uganda’s stability compared to neighbouring 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."

The President assured Bunyoro that with petroleum revenues expected next year, more development projects will be realized.

“A Runyankole 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."

Museveni appreciated the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, for her patience and dedication to managing Uganda’s education sector.

Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa is the chairperson of Bunyoro University Task Force that is overseeing the realization of the first public university in that area.

He explained that the university has been the long-awaited game changer to improve higher education for learners in the entire Bunyoro sub-region.

On his part, Peter Banura, the Kikuube district LC5 chairperson, called for unity among the people of Bunyoro, especially leaders.

He rallied them to support government interventions regardless of their personal differences.