Overview:
Speaking during the University’s 18th graduation ceremony held at the main campus in Saaka, Fort Portal Tourism City on Friday, Prof. Achanga emphasized the need for more infrastructure is needed to accommodate the growing number of students and enhance research capabilities.
The Mountains of the Moon University-(MMU) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Pius Coxwell Achanga has once again appealed to government for increased funding to improve the learning and teaching environment at the University.
Speaking during the University’s 18th graduation ceremony held at the main campus in Saaka, Fort Portal Tourism City on Friday, Prof. Achanga emphasized the need for more infrastructure is needed to accommodate the growing number of students and enhance research capabilities.
The university is seeking additional funding to build specialized laboratories, workshops, and facilities geared towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics-STEM- Courses, which are critical for its core mandate.
Prof. Achanga also decried the shortage of highly versatile academic staff, noting that the university currently has only four professors and six associate professors , compared to the required the seven professors and 17associate proffesors.
Today the university now requires 5.19 billion to fix this gap.
Eng. Ben Manyindo, the Chairperson of the University Council, called on government to increase funding for the stalled projects at the University.
He noted the need for more money to complete the construction of the building designated for the agriculture facility, facilitate the digitalization of the of the University and improved the road network within and around the campus.
He noted that the University Council is committed to turning the University into beacon of success in areas of research, teaching learning and community engagements.
In his address, Prof. Edward Rugumayo, the University Chancellor urged local community leaders to continue supporting the growth and development of the University.
He reflected that the University began as a dream to make higher education accessible to all, and since then MMU has been striving to be a Centre of Academic Excellence.
Prof. Rugumayo, he called for financial support to complete the construction of the faculty of Agriculture and Environment Sciences and prefabrication of class room buildings. He noted that since the projects commenced in 2023,progress has slowed due to limited funds.
The State Minister of Primary Education Joyce Moriku Kaducu, who represented the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, pledged increased budgets that will support developments in public universities.
She commended the University for offering courses that address met local needs, noting that no country can achieve development without education.
Minister Kaducu noted that institutions such as MMU are critical in producing skilled graduates who are essential for Uganda’s development and transformation.
Earlier this week, the parliament’s budget committee in their report on the 2026/27 national budget framework paper recently tabled before parliament, urged government to earmark 15 billion to each public university in the coming years so that they improve their infrastructure.
520 students graduated on Friday in different disciplines with 24 of these qualifying with first class degrees.
The graduates are majorly students who were expected to graduate during the Covid-19 national lock down. MMU operates, five faculties including, Agriculture and Environment, Education, Humanity and Social Sciences, Health, Science and Technology.
Since government takeover, the University has received cumulatively over 178.b Billion covering staff wage, non- wage and capital development. 11% is this money is channeled for capital development.
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