Prof Jack Nyeko Pen-Mogi, the Vice Chancellor Gulu University has said the institution has failed to expand due to inadequate land.
The university plans to build a teaching hospital, a modern library, information communication technology facilities and research laboratories.
Speaking during the 11th graduation at the Main Campus in Laroo division, Gulu on Saturday, Prof Pen-Mogi said 13 years since its founding, the university is yet to acquire adequate to enable it to put up modern facilities.
Pen-Mogi attributed the problem to the lack of willingness of communities living around the public to give land to the public university.
The Gulu University Vice Chancellor said land owners have failed to appreciate the benefits that come along with a higher learning institutions.
In 2009, the university sought to forcefully evict people living on the land adjacent to the campus but the move was halted by a court case.
However the university was not ordered to pay the legal suit with the explanation that it was a consent ruling.
In August 2012, the community living around the University threatened drag its management to court for allegedly destroying their property.
Under their umbrella organisation, Gulu Concern Land Owners’ Association, the land owners sought compensation of about 40 million shillings from the university for the property destroyed a decade earlier.
The land owners say they want court to compel the university to pay the individuals affected by the development.
The property includes two acres of land in which the university has built some structures.
Gulu University needs about 1,742 acres of land in order to enable it to expand. Currently it is sitting on less than 70 acres. The university has acquired 642 acres of land at Pajengo village, Latoro Parish in Purongo Sub County in Nwoya District at the tune of 256.8 million shillings.
Since its inception for in 2002, the institution has been dispute with its neighbors over land for expansion.
Recently, the ministry of education and sports said that Gulu University needs to provide evidence of ownership of land totaling to 742 acres before it could receive a grant for infrastructural development or else lose it.
The grant amounting to US$12 million is from the African Development Bank (ADB) meant for infrastructural development in public universities.
