The Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports made an oversight visit to Gulu University in preparation for the historic Parliamentary Sitting that is set to be hosted in Gulu City at Kaunda Grounds from the 29th to 30th of August, 2024. Chaired by Hon. According to Asiimwe Molly Musiimwe, the Deputy Chairperson of the committee and the Woman Member of Parliament for Rwampara District, the visit was aimed at assessing the progress, challenges, and infrastructural development of educational institutions in the Northern Region.
While guided, Hon. Asiimwe applauded Gulu University for its successes over the years but largely dwelt on what the committee had come to understand: the state of universities, primary, and secondary schools in the region. These visits are part of the committee’s effort to scrutinize challenges in the education sector and provide workable solutions for the institutions involved.
The VC of Gulu University, Prof. George Openjuru Ladaah, presented a comprehensive report on the progress at the university, operationalizing the new campus in Kotido, and some of the milestones achieved, like handing over a construction site for the Senate Building, valued at 30 billion UGX to the National Enterprise Corporation. The construction that was initially planned for the main campus has been relocated to the Forest Campus to allow continued usage of existing buildings.
Prof. Openjuru further noted progress in the construction of the Gulu University Moroto Constituent College Multipurpose building in Nadunget, a 39.9 billion UGX valued project currently being executed by the UPDF Engineering Brigade.
The Vice Chancellor, however, expressed concern over the degazettement process of Gulu Central Forest Reserve, stalled for its expansion. All has been done; environmental impact assessment is inclusive, yet no progress is witnessed. He also asked for the speedy construction of the Gulu University Specialized Teaching Hospital, saying it shall not only serve the medical students at the university but also the entire Northern Region, including South Sudan.
On his part, Hon Asiimwe asked the University to write formally to President Yoweri Museveni expressing the need for the teaching hospital.
The current visit is a follow-up to an oversight visit that the STI parliamentary committee made to the site in June 2023, which depicted the current mood in Parliament to oversee and support the development of various learning institutions in the country.
