Members of Parliament (MPs) under Busoga Parliamentary caucus have appealed to government to consider returning the properties that belong to Busoga Kingdom which would help boost economic growth
This was during a press conference organized by the legislators ahead of the 7th coronation of the Kyabazinga of Busoga (King) William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope which will be held on September 13th, 2021.
Following the abolition of cultural institutions in Uganda in 1966, the Central government took over a number of Busoga Kingdom properties some of which it continues to use as subcounty headquarters.
Despite the reinstatement of cultural institutions by the current NRM government, some of these properties have never been returned to the Kingdom which has left the institution with no resources to effectively run its activities.
Led by the Busoga Parliamentary caucus Chairperson, Stephen Kisa, the legislators amplified the call for the Kingdom properties which would be used to enhance economic growth and development within the institution.
“There is need to develop Busoga as a region and this would be possible if all the kingdom properties are returned under the kingdom administration. We would use such properties to grow our resource envelop,” Kisa said.
The Caucus General Secretary, Manjeri Kyebakutika appealed to government to come up with a deliberate program to develop Busoga as a region.
“On several occasions we have seen government returning properties of different institutions but this has not happened to Busoga; when it comes to higher education, Busoga has been left out, even the single Busoga university hasn’t been taken up by government as a public university,” Kyebakutika said.
At that note, the Caucus Legal Advisor, Asuman Basalirwa asked government to fast track the takeover of Busoga University as a public university.
“As a region, we no longer want to listen to any other story, if the university has debts, liabilities and other challenges, it is upon government to take over the liabilities, the debts and managing any internal contradictions to ensure that Busoga as a subregion has a public University,” Basalirwa said.
He added that, “It is unacceptable that the universities that are merging now are being take over and Busoga university whose issue has been in Parliament longer is not taken over and government is not offering any clear explanation.”