Hoima – In a significant milestone for higher education in Uganda’s Bunyoro sub-region, the Kikuube District Council has unanimously approved the master plan for the long-awaited Bunyoro University, officials announced.
The decision, made during a council session in Hoima, clears a critical hurdle for the establishment of the public institution, which is set to become a hub for science and applied sciences education.
The master plan, meticulously developed by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, outlines the layout, infrastructure, and phased development of the university on a 100-acre site in Buhimba Town Council, Kikuube District.
Presented by ministry representatives, the blueprint includes provisions for academic buildings, student hostels, research facilities, and sustainable energy systems, emphasising environmental integration with the surrounding oil-rich landscape.
“This approval is a game-changer for our youth and the entire sub-region,” said Prof. Grace Kyomuhendo Bantebya, Vice Chairperson of the Bunyoro University Taskforce Management Committee (TMC) and Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
“With the plan now endorsed, we can move swiftly to procurement and construction. This university will not just educate; it will drive innovation in earth sciences, agriculture, and petroleum engineering – fields vital to Bunyoro’s future.”
The TMC, chaired by Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa, has been steering the project since its inception in 2022. To date, the government has invested over Shs 6.4 billion in preliminary works, including land acquisition from philanthropist Dr Henry Wamani and the development of 18 science-focused academic programs, all vetted and approved by the National Council for Higher Education.
These programs range from geology and environmental engineering to biotechnology and renewable energy. The approval comes amid rapid progress on supporting infrastructure.
Just weeks earlier, in late October, the government completed the upgrade of 12.5 kilometres of access roads leading to the site, a project executed under a memorandum of understanding between Kikuube District Local Government and the TMC.
Kikuube District Chairperson Peter Banura hailed the council’s vote as a “collective triumph,” crediting community support and President Yoweri Museveni’s vision for equitable education access.
President Museveni, who broke ground for the university in March 2025 during a high-profile ceremony in Kikuube, reiterated his commitment to free education and poverty alleviation to ensure underprivileged students can attend. “Without eradicating household poverty and enforcing free UPE and USE, our universities will remain elite enclaves,” he said at the time.
The groundbreaking marked the start of physical works, with petroleum revenues expected to fund further expansions next year. Local leaders and educators view Bunyoro University as more than an academic centre – it’s a catalyst for economic transformation in a region poised for oil production.
“Proximity to the university means jobs, skills training, and research partnerships for our people,” Bantebya added, urging Bunyoro residents to prepare for the opportunities ahead.
Following the approval, the master plan will be forwarded to the Ministry of Education and Sports for final vetting and contractor procurement. Construction is slated to commence in early 2026, with the first phase targeting enrollment of 500 students by 2028.
The establishment of Bunyoro University fulfils a decades-old pledge to decentralise higher education, aligning with the government’s goal of one public university per sub-region.
