Busitema University management held a site handover meeting with representatives from the National Housing Construction Company at the Faculty of Science & Education, Nagongera Campus, to officially commission the construction of new facilities. The meeting took place on Thursday, 31st July 2025.

Busitema University and National Housing representatives at the site handover

The handover marked the beginning of construction for an auditorium and a laboratory. Prior to this meeting, both institutions had been engaged in discussions regarding the project.

Prof. David Olema, Dean of the Faculty of Science & Education, welcomed the guests and led them to the conference hall where a brief preliminary meeting was held. The meeting was chaired by the Academic Registrar, Dr. Lillian Nabaasa Gimuguni, who represented the Vice Chancellor, who was away on official duties.

During the meeting, Prof. Olema—also the Chair of the Construction Management Team (CMT)—outlined key priorities for the project. These included the early involvement of the design and construction teams, provision of detailed work plans, strict supervision, and the concurrent commencement of both the auditorium and laboratory projects.

Mr. Emma Wangota, Company Secretary representing the Managing Director of the National Housing Construction Company, shared a background of the company, noting its 61-year track record of client satisfaction, primarily in residential projects. He expressed optimism that this partnership would mark a significant step into the higher education infrastructure sector.

In her remarks, Dr. Gimuguni stated, “We watch with anticipation and pride because we know that we can trust you,” in response to the appreciation expressed by the National Housing team. Prof. Olema then led the team on a site tour, emphasizing that additional suggestions and observations would be made on location.

The construction initiative aims to address the persistent challenge of inadequate infrastructure. Dr. Gimuguni revealed that due to limited lecture rooms, over 500 students currently study outside. Nagongera Campus accommodates more than 3,000 students, and the situation has become more pressing with the imminent arrival of new students in less than two weeks.

The team, led by members of the Construction Management Committee, visited the designated sites. Grading had already begun for the auditorium site, while the laboratory site had been marked out. On-site suggestions included relocating squatters with existing structures, managing nearby power lines, ensuring proper worker identification, constructing temporary lecture rooms, and processing all required documentation and agreements for accountability.

Both parties acknowledged the issues raised and the National Housing team committed to timely implementation where necessary. The meeting concluded successfully, with both teams expressing satisfaction with the outcomes.