The Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Education and Sports yesterday visited Soroti University and had a discussion with the University management to appraise themselves with the status and performance of Soroti University in the 2023/2024 financial year. The oversight field visit is aimed at appreciating challenges faced by the University in the performance of their core mandate.
Speaking during the visit the Vice Chancellor Soroti University, Prof. John Robert Ikoja highlighted the inadequate funding for infrastructure development. He said the infrastructure development is the least funded adding that it has affected the academic programs and enrolment in the university.
Prof. John Robert Ikoja welcoming Mps who visited Soroti University yesterday. ( Photos by Nyene Juma Hassan)
“This is not healthy for a young University which is almost 99.5% funded by government. If infrastructure development is not adequately funded, then academic programs will remain few, and enrolment will inevitably remain low.
The Vice Chancellor informed the Mps the University currently has six programs accredited, and three programs currently admitting students, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Nursing Science and Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Computer Engineering.
Bachelor of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy and Bachelor of Science in Finance, Accounting and Computing is estimated to admit over 250 students, but the space is not sufficient. He said that in the last three financial years government have not allocated resources for infrastructure development hence affecting the completion of the Anatomy block.
Incomplete Anatomy block at Soroti University that is supposed to house School of Health Sciences. (Photo by Nyene Juma Hassan)
The Anatomy blockhas 11 lecture rooms, 4 laboratories, 1 mortuary,1 library and 16 office spaces. Once completed it will help reduce the pressure on the existing infrastructure for both the current users and the new programs.
Prof. Ikoja informed the legislators that the University needs 2.4 Bn to recruit academic to teach the students soon going into year four and five. 4.881Bn is needed to recruit staff both academic and administrative to run the three new programs that have been accredited and ready to start 2024/2025 academic year.
He said that the budget allocation for nonwage is currently insufficient because it’s in this category that the living out allowances for government sponsored students are paid. As the number of students keep increasing in both the existing programs and new programs, this grant should inevitably increase.
The Vice Chancellor informed the committee that in the 2022/2023 financial year the 2Bn Research Funds allocated to Soroti University was not released, he appealed to the chairperson of the committee and members to support the enhancement of the University budget in the 2024/2025 financial year to help reduce the gap.
In his remarks, Hon. Twesigye John, the Chairperson Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Education and Sports, promised to rally support to give the University the much-needed support to improve the infrastructure of the University. He promised to follow up on all reports and documents submitted to parliament and government to make sure that the promises are fulfilled.
The Mps also toured the University land that has been earmarked for the construction of the National Referral and teaching hospital, they also visited Soroti Regional Referral Hospital to assess the conditions of the hospital that is currently being used by university as the teaching hospital.