Ms Nabbanja said the strenuous procedure that needed to be undertaken to degazette the forest reserve caused delays at the Ministry of Water and Environment, which is undertaking the process.
The Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, has reassured the Gulu University administration of the progressive efforts by the government to secure more land for its expansion.
Speaking during the university’s 24th graduation ceremony at the university playground, Ms Nabbanja said the Ministry of Water and Environment is finalising the degazettement of the Gulu Central Forest Reserve to allocate it to the university. Her remarks followed demands by the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Mr Norbert Mao, who urged the government to expedite the long-delayed degazettement to allow critical infrastructural development.
“I want to allay the fears of Justice minister that the issue of the forest is being handled. The Ministry of Water and Environment will soon come back to Cabinet and have this issue settled once and for all,” Ms Nabbanja said.
Months earlier, the university had warned that delays in concluding a land swap deal with the National Forestry Authority (NFA) could stall key development programmes at the institution. In 2020, President Museveni directed the then Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, to degazette 70 acres of Gulu Central Forest Reserve for the expansion of the university. In 2021, Parliament passed a resolution approving the degazettement of the land. The land, belonging to NFA, located in the heart of Gulu City, is meant to be exchanged with another 500 acres of land in Gotapwoyo Sub-county in Nwoya District in a swap deal between the university and NFA.
It is planned to host the faculties of Medicine, Agriculture, Environment, research laboratories, and a hostel. However, the delays seem to be hurting the university’s progress, according to sources within the university’s administration. On April 3, a team of surveyors and engineers from the Ministry of Works and Transport approached the university seeking land on which to establish a modern sports training facility that is intended for the 2027 AFCON games to be hosted in Uganda. It is also established that the university intends to use at least 20 acres of the land to build the new Gulu University Specialised Hospital, once handed over to them.
The Gulu Central Forest Reserve is among the 16 selected forest reserves that underwent assessment and possible recommendations for degazettement. The university, while working with both Gulu City Authority and Nwoya District Local Government, has provided alternative land in Nwoya District, which has been converted into a freehold title in the name of Gulu University. Ms Nabbanja said the strenuous procedure that needed to be undertaken to degazette the forest reserve caused delays at the Ministry of Water and Environment, which is undertaking the process. “You know the procedures, but we are busy going through the procedures. And very soon, without any catalyst, you will hear the good news. Unfortunately, he sits in the Cabinet, and you know what the Cabinet did, but of course, we are told to add some more information, which information has been gathered.”
She stated. In his speech at the event over the weekend, Mr Mao warned that the delays to degazette the land could cause the university to miss a key infrastructural projects, including the AFCON training ground and the proposed specialised hospital. “These are the things that make government look bad and weak. There is no way a directive of the President can be bluntly defied,” he said, adding that if the matter is not resolved within the financial year, he would mobilise the public to take the message to Kampala. He emphasised that the specialised hospital would serve not only northern Uganda but also neighbouring South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Friday last week, Gulu University held its 24th graduation ceremony in which it conferred degrees, diplomas and certificates to a total of 1,431 students in various disciplines. Gulu University was established as a public university on June 25, 2003, under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2001, after it was enacted by Parliament on May 14 of the same year. The university was to be located in the Loro Division, Gulu Municipality, where land covering 742 hectares had been identified. However, it could not acquire the land due to resistance from some of the local community members.
University milestones
Gulu University awarded degrees, diplomas, and certificates to 1,431 students during its 24th graduation ceremony. Established on June 25, 2003, under the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, the university was initially intended to be located in Loro Division, Gulu Municipality, on 742 hectares, but resistance from the local community hindered acquisition. President Museveni, in his speech delivered by Ms Nabbanja, commended the university for its role in job creation and human resource development. “Human resources are more important than natural resources. The riches of a country are not in the ground, but in the population if it is highly educated, skilled, and healthy,” he said.
He urged universities to equip students with practical skills to match private-sector demand in a rapidly changing global economy. Besides its academic progress, since its establishment nearly 25 years ago, the university has undergone a significant transformation. For example, on November 5, the institution was recognised and awarded as Africa’s Most Impactful University in Rural Transformation and Community Development at the third African Academia Conference and Awards 2025 held in Kigali, Rwanda. The award, presented by the Business Executive Media Group, recognised the university’s contributions to rural transformation through its focus on agricultural, health, and education programmes designed for rural communities.
Meanwhile, on November 27, the university was voted by the National Planning Authority as the Most Visionary Public University of the year 2025. In July, the university launched its Open, Distance, Electronic, and Lifelong Learning (ODELL) initiative. The ODELL programme is designed to provide online learning opportunities for students, particularly those who are unable to come physically to study at the university and those from outside countries. The ongoing construction of multibillion facilities at the institution will guarantee a boost in student enrolment. According to the University Council Chairperson, Ms Theresa Mary Obbo, these projects will create lecture space for an additional 6,000 students.
For example, the institution recently hired Chonqing International Corporation to build the Business and Development Centre at a cost of Shs30b, while the construction of the Senate Building is being undertaken by NEC at Shs27.4b. Ms Obbo appealed for increased government development funding to ensure timely completion. The university’s student population has grown from 5,900 to more than 7,000, with academic programmes increasing to 83. Its Financial Year 2024/2025 Capital Development Budget rose to Shs7.4 billion from Shs3.8 billion, while the total budget increased to Shs58.8 billion from Shs48.4 billion. Chancellor Dr Ruhakana Rugunda called on Parliament to appropriate additional funds for Gulu University and the Moroto University Project to meet project timelines.
(daily monitor)