Soroti varsity seeks Shs35b for infrastructure, staff recruitment
Soroti University main building. PHOTO | SIMON PETER EMWAMU
What you need to know:
- Prof Ikoja said if infrastructure development is not funded, their academic programs will remain few and enrollment will remain inevitably low.
Soroti University is seeking about Shs35 billion for infrastructure development and staff recruitment for newly accredited courses.
Vice Chancellor, Prof John Robert Ikoja while appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports that visited the institution on Wednesday said that for the last three years, they have not received any funds from the government purposely for infrastructure development.
“64.2 per cent of our budget this year covers only the wages. This means that less is left for infrastructure and other non-wage expenditures. This is not healthy for a university which is almost 99.5 per cent funded by the government,” he said.
Prof Ikoja said if infrastructure development is not funded, their academic programs will remain few and enrollment will remain inevitably low.
Soroti University started operations in 2016 and the first cohort of students were admitted in 2019-2020.
The vice chancellor said that of the Shs35b, Shs20b will go towards the completion of the anatomy block that is expected to accommodate four lecture rooms, four laboratories, one mortuary, one library and 16 offices.
MPs tour the stalled an anatomy block at Soroti University.
“This will reduce the pressure on the existing infrastructure for both the current users and the future ones. Shs7.2b will go towards wages and recruiting both academic and administrative staff to run the three new programs that have currently been accredited,” he said.
The programs include; Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Finance Accounting and Computing, and Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Physiotherapy.
He noted that Shs6.7b will cater for non-wage and Shs1.3b towards retooling, especially for the newly accredited programs.
Dr Eng Vincent Kasangaki, the chairperson of Soroti University Council said that given the fact that President Museveni wants universities to be science-oriented, it becomes difficult to run them without enough funding.
“The courses being run are by nature expensive and parliament should appropriate more funds towards Soroti University. We know that there are many institutions competing for the same resources, but the first opportunity should be given to the new ones,” he said.
Hon John Ntamuhiira Twesigye, the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports, said they will have to invite the managers of Soroti University to the parliament to present the budget framework so that they are captured in the National budget framework for the next financial year.
