The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Plans by Gulu University to establish a College of Agriculture in Karamoja sub-region has stalled.
The college was a pledge by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni during the 2016 general elections to give a higher institution of education and revolutionize agriculture to aid rapid development among the people of Karamoja.
In July 2017, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Gulu University appointed a four-member task force chaired by a renowned academic, Dr. Sidonia Angom to mastermind the creation of the college.
Moroto district local government offered 500 acres of land for the College but after a survey was carried out, the squatters on the land in question demanded a high six billion Uganda shillings’ compensation.
Khalid Mahmoud, the Public Relations Officer of Gulu University disclosed to URN that, since the formation of the task force, their plans to implement the presidential directive has been hindered by the unresolved land question.
Khalid explained that the University management has regarded the inflated reparation demand by the squatters as unrealistic and a stumbling block which they have referred to the line Ministry of Education for redress.
With nine districts, Karamoja is estimated to harbor over 1.2 million people with approximately 70 percent of the population dwelling in rural areas. The 27,000 square kilometer-arid expanse of savannah and bush forms the northeast edge of Uganda bordering Kenya and South Sudan.
Founded in 2002, Gulu University is one of the 11 public Universities in the country and contributed to the establishment of Lira University college in 2012, Hoima Constituent College and Gulu University Kitgum branch.
*****
URN
