Soroti University to open in August

Soroti University is now more than ready to start admitting its pioneer students this academic year.
“We are ready to open this year,” Ms Ruth Achimo Etibot, the University Secretary, said at the weekend.
Ms Achimo said the Shs18.7b university is going to be a role model for other future public universities because there is value for money.
Early last year, the university staff and some district leaders issued statements of having the university open in August 2018.

Standards
However, the National Council for Higher Education, headed by Prof John Apuda Asibo, insisted the university does not possess pre-requisites for a medical school in line with the presidential pronouncement that Soroti University will be a purely science entity.
But the staff insisted they have all the pre-medical course requirements in place.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof John Robert Ikoja Odongo, said everything is now set for the university to be open.
He said Shs5.3 billion for the medical school was sent by government for finishes.
“Consultants designed the medical school and we want it to be like that of Mulago,” Mr Ikoja said.
He said so far they have a modern library, have recruited staff and the needed equipment at the medical department.
The Soroti Resident District Commissioner Soroti District, Mr William Wilberforce Tukei, commended the staff for keeping up to the standards, and asked the people of Teso sub-region to encourage their children to do science courses.
“People should also be encouraged to grow enough food so that they can be able to feed the university,” he added.
Soroti University is part of the other public universities that include Muni, Kyambogo, Mbarara, Gulu, Makerere, Busitema and Lira.