Prime
Lango leaders demand varsity status for constituent college
Second Deputy Prime Minister Moses Ali launches the expansion of facilities at Uganda Technical College in Lira on Wednesday. PHOTO BY AL-MAHDI SSENKABIRWA
Lira- Leaders from Lango sub-region have asked the government to consider elevating Gulu University Constituent College in Lira Municipality to a university status.
They claim the college has enough facilities and land, adding that it would create opportunities for many people in the region and also acquire higher academic qualifications in various disciplines.
“We ask the government to expedite the process of giving the constituent college an independent and autonomous status given the institution’s comparative advantage of having vast land which can accommodate further development and the strong support of the community towards this university,” Mr Morris Odung, the Lira Municipality mayor, said.
He was speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the rehabilitation and expansion of 11 government technical colleges at Uganda Technical College-Lira on Wednesday.
The Second Deputy Prime Minister, Gen Moses Ali, presided over the function.
The project will also see 14 new technical institutes constructed in different districts.
It is funded at the tune of $80m (aboutShs200b) by the Saudi Fund for Development, among others.
The district boss, Mr Alex Oremo, wondered why the region lacks a university yet other regions have more than one higher institution of learning. “Getting a university is so important for the growth of this great region. We are optimist that the government will respond to the concern of our people,” he said.
Gen Ali, who represented President Museveni, expressed government commitment to fulfill its pledge of establishing a technical institute at every sub-country.
Also speaking at the same event, Ms Jessica Alupo, the Education minister, said vocational education had the potential to curb unemployment in the country but it has been one of the least funded programmes over the years.
Uganda boasts of 36 universities and majority are concentrated in the central region.
Ms Alupo said many people still view vocational education as a pathway for failure, but added that government would sensitise them.
