Govt receives land titles of 97.02 acres for Bunyoro University

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The Ministry of Education and Sports has officially received land titles for 97.02 acres donated by Dr. Henry Wamani and family to host the long-awaited Bunyoro University Campus.

The handover of titles follows the main campus groundbreaking ceremony held on March 19, 2025, in Buhimba sub-county, Kikuube district, which was officiated by President Yoweri Museveni.

First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, receives the land titles for the 97-acres for Bunyoro University from Dr. Henry Wamani and family, as officials and leaders applaud. (Credit: PPU)

On Thursday, July 10, at State House Nakasero, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni, officially received the titles from Dr. Henry Wamani, a Lay Canon and former lecturer at Makerere University's School of Public Health.

This donation provides the government's public university in Bunyoro region with a permanent home, bringing the university closer to reality.

Dr. Wamani formally presented the land titles and transfer forms to Mrs. Janet Museveni, who was in company of Education and Sports Permanent Secretary Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa (Vice Chancellor-designate for Bunyoro University and Chairperson of the Taskforce Management Committee), and Prof. J Nyeko Pen-Mogi (Chairperson of Uganda Land Commission).

Dr. Wamani attended with his wife, Enid Wamani, and their children, Dr. Priscilla Atugonza and Murungi Mwesigwa.

First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, shares a moment of appreciation with Dr. Henry Wamani after receiving land titles for the future Bunyoro University. (Credit: PPU)

Other dignitaries at the event were Prof. Mary Okwakol, the Executive Director of the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE), Pius Biribonwoha, the Solicitor General, Dr. Kalisa Kabagambe, Mujwara Kondo from Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Royal Commission, Bunyoro regional leaders, Task Force Management Committee members, and senior officials from the Education Ministry.

A release from the First Lady's office states that Mrs. Museveni expressed deep gratitude to Canon Dr.  Wamani and his wife for their generous donation of 97 acres. She praised this as an exemplary case of citizens partnering with their government to build a nation they can be proud of.

She criticised persons whom she said demand for excessive payment whenever government needs land for development projects such as schools. She noted that World Bank loans for school construction often go unused because of difficulties acquiring land.

"Dr. Wamani has set this example to Ugandans that we have a responsibility as a people in this season of our lives to come together and build our homeland so that generations of our children coming after us find it better than we found it," she said.

She confirmed that government agencies had verified the 97.02 acres and highlighted divine guidance in selecting Dr. Wamani's land among various options.

First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, holds the land titles for the 97-acre land donated for Bunyoro University. (Credit: PPU)

The First Lady expressed confidence that Dr. Wamani and his family would receive blessings for their generous act toward their country.

She assured that the donated land would be used exclusively for establishing the public university in Bunyoro region and urged all stakeholders to support this government initiative.

While acknowledging that building university infrastructure takes time, she affirmed the government's commitment to the project, with funding already allocated to begin construction.

"This is a step that the government shall build on going forward to avail more resources in a phased manner," she pledged, urging Professor Kyamanywa's Taskforce to carefully monitor construction progress and quality, with full support from the Ministry of Education and Sports.

Dr. Wamani acknowledged receiving compensation for developments on the donated land as directed by the President Museveni and thanked the First Lady for her "critical and steadfast leadership" in establishing the university.

He described his land donation as an expression of gratitude to God. "My humble act of donating land for the university stems from a grateful heart to God for how far He has brought me," he said.

Dr. Wamani also requested that the Government consider building a university teaching hospital that could serve as a general hospital for Kikuube District, which currently has none.

Professor Samuel Kyamanywa confirmed that the site for Bunyoro University Campus meets all technical, professional, and regulatory requirements. He reported that progress on establishing the university has continued steadily since the groundbreaking.

Professor Kyamanywa praised the First Lady's "impeccable guidance and advice" throughout the land acquisition process and thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his vision, along with Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and Bunyoro's political leadership for their support.

He reported significant developments since the groundbreaking ceremony, including completed land surveys and ongoing access road improvements. Construction of three multipurpose halls is scheduled to begin in October 2025 and finish by November 2026.

First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, in a group photograph with Dr. Henry Wamani, his family, and officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda Land Commission, National Council for Higher Education, and Bunyoro regional leaders after receiving land titles for the 97-acre Bunyoro University site at State House Nakasero. (PPU Photo)

According to Prof. Kyamanywa, Bunyoro University plans to officially open in June 2027, initially offering four programs through the School of Education Science and School of Computing and Information Technology. Eighteen academic programs and ten draft policies are already prepared for implementation once infrastructure is ready.

The university's estimated five-year budget is UGX 355 billion, with UGX 30 billion needed for initial structures. The government has allocated UGX 12 billion for the 2025/26 financial year. Professor Kyamanywa expressed hope for an increased budget of UGX 40 billion to speed up essential infrastructure construction.