BUNYORO UNIVERSITY DELAY IS UNACCEPTABLE – HON. ASINASI

By Our Reporter

HOIMA:  The Hoima City Woman Member of Parliament Hon. Asinasi Nyakato has expressed her concern over delayed establishment of Bunyoro University.

The politician says people of Bunyoro have been demanding for the public university, and promise has been on president’s mouth since 2001 elections but it has never been fulfilled.

‘’Indeed it’s embarrassing that a region that serves nine districts, does not have a public university or even a reputable private university when Ankole has seven universities with Kigezi having four,’’ Asinasi contends.

The woman member of parliament notes that on 18^th August 2021, the members of parliament from Bunyoro sub region met HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at state house on the issue of a public university in the region, but the task force chaired by Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabanja to spearhead this project has no progress to date.

‘’When we realized that the president’s promise was not enough without documentary back up, Hon. Musana Erick and Hon Isingoma Patrick and I prepared a motion in parliament which was asking government through the minister of finance to commit itself and ensure that the university is captured in the budgeting process,’’ Asinasi asserts.

The politician also notes that when some leaders realized that the motion on the order paper, they asked the speaker to struck it off until they compelled him to refer the matter to Bunyoro Parliamentary caucus, and to date as a caucus, they haven’t discuss the matter.

‘’Because of selfish reasons, some leaders blocked our efforts to have parliament officially debate the matter. We would have used this debate to ensure that the minister commits to capture it during the budget process,’’ she told www.ugreports.com.

Asinasi also says Bunyoro caucus hasn’t discussed the issue of establishing a public university in Bunyoro yet since they are waiting for the task force to do its role towards the establishment of the university. ‘’To our dismay, the establishment of a public university is not captured in the budget framework paper meaning that it’s not in the next financial budget,’’ Asinasi notes.

She also says, ‘’When I inquired about the issue of establishing a public university in Bunyoro, I was told that even when the caucus met the president, the chair of the delegation and task force leader did not get any letter from President Museveni confirming his pledge, so there was no reference point that they would use to follow up’’.

The politician says this would not have been the issue if they had discussed it in parliament, because they would have committed the Minister for Presidency or Education to fulfil the presidential pledge.

Meeting leaders at Masindi Munucipal Council in December last year, Rt, Hon. Robinah Nabanja the Prime of Uganda assured people that the establishment of a public university in Bunyoro sub region will be in the next financial year.