Historical Background of Busoga University

Historical Background of Busoga University

Admission To Busoga University is ongoing. Visit Our Admissions Portal For Details

Busoga University is a private (non-profit making) institution founded by the Church of Uganda under the Busoga Diocese. It is located 35km along Jinja-Iganga/Mbale Tororo highway and is situated in the Iganga Christian Missionary Society (CMS) Educational Village.

On 23rd February 1993, Busoga College Mwiri’s Board of Governors, under the leadership of Bishop Cyprian K. Bamwoze passed a resolution to establish a university on the same hill and requested Busoga Diocesan Council and the House of Bishops to become the foundation body of the anticipated university. On 19th November 1994, a University Formation Task Force (UFTF) was appointed “to map out the process of establishing BU” and on 21st April 1995, it presented its report to the Bishop. On 6th May 1995, the Bishop inaugurated BU in the presence of His Royal Highness the Kyabazinga of Busoga, Henry Wako Muloki. Soon after, Busoga Diocese surrendered its Iganga land and buildings of Bishop Hannington Theological College to BU, and on 30th July, BU received its interim license. On 12th February 1999, BU opened its gates to students.

In the last 15 years and 3 months, BU has been growing bigger and bigger. On the day it opened its gates, only one student registered but today it has over 3,000 students. In 1999, BU started in grass-thatched huts. BU has now developed a number of physical infrastructures at its Iganga campus including new administrative and classroom blocks. The University started on a zero budget in February 1999, but now operates around a budget of Uganda Shillings 6.5 billion.

Today, the university has six faculties:

Faculty of Agriculture, Science and Technology (FAST)
Faculty of Education, Arts and Vocational Studies (FEAVS)
Faculty of Humanities, Business and Management (FHBM)
Institute of Health Sciences (IHS)
Faculty of Law
School of Graduate Studies (SGS).

Since July 2002, BU has sent out thousands of graduates some of whom have already scored notable successes in different walks of life.

Furthermore, the university has, due to public demand, established six branches in Jinja, Buwaiswa, in Kamuli District, Iganga Municipality, and Bugiri, Kaliro and Pallisa towns. In addition, Bishop Hannington Theological College, which is currently operating under Busoga Diocese at Bugembe, will begin to operate under a new name called “Bishop Hannington School of Divinity and Theology (BHSDT)’’, as the 7th Faculty in BU, with effect from 1st July 2014. The BHSDT will become the 7th Faculty in the University.

Through the efforts of the indefatigable Bishop Bamwoze, BU started to get technical and financial support from Busoga University Support Team (BUST) which was formed in Great Britain in 2001 as a charitable organization. Since then BUST’s support has not stopped in the last 15 years. After helping BU to start a School of Nursing and Midwifery in 2010, BUST has already promised to help the university start building a guest house and has persuaded the University of Chester to start some collaboration with BU in health and education programs.

The university is now vigorously searching for local and external collaboration with development partners and universities.