The ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) Gulu Center was last Monday held at the construction site in Bardege division.
UMI Gulu campus is being constructed by Gali Technical Services at a cost of 1.5 billion shillings.
The Chairman Governing Council of the UMI, Mr Francis Xavier Lubanga says the construction work is expected to be completed within a year from now.
‘‘We are here to demonstrate that the institute is a serious partner in the process of development and social transformation as the district is on the process of becoming a city,’’ Lubanga said.
He says when the district gets a city status there are several challenges which come by, such as management of a metropolitan city and managing the transitional needs like skills especially soft management skills which are very limited in the region.
He says that the institution is establishing its self strategically targeting the countries of South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo which lack skills in managing their affairs.
He says that the institution has also gone further to offer the district two scholarships every year for 10 years as one of the initiatives to enhance management skills and change their capacity to deliver.
The L.C V chairman Gulu, Mr Ojara Martin Mapenduzi said institution has come at the right time as the district prepares to have a city status and one of the requirements for the city is a number of higher learning centers, which Gulu has now met.
He says, “This will give a lot of opportunities for residents to access education with little costs.”
The Deputy Mayor Gulu, Ms Pauline Lukwayi said, “People used to move to the central region for education and in most times couldn’t finish studies due to failure to maintain the high cost of living.”
The Deputy Mayor of Gulu Municipality thanked UMI for the project and urged them to also employ people from Gulu in the construction work.
Funds for the construction of the institution were given by the Dutch government.
