Bunyoro Kitara kingdom has launched Kabalega Royal Institute as one of its interventions to enable orphans and vulnerable children afford education.
The Institute that commences its first intake this year was launched by the Omukama Solomon Gafabusa Iguru during celebrations to mark his 17th coronation anniversary.
The function was held at his Karuziika palace in Hoima town on Saturday.
The Omukama says the school will offer a number of vocational courses both at certificate and diploma levels and will be housed in the kingdom’s Rukurato buildings.
The Omukama says this is one of the steps being undertaken by the kingdom to heal the colonial injustices through educating the needy children at an affordable cost.
Iguru says during the colonial era, the kingdom had its resources plundered; animals taken which he says impoverished the Banyoro.
He says that due to poverty some families are unable to educate their children to attain basic education skills and thus a need for the kingdom to start such projects.
Proscovia Bamutura, the kingdom deputy prime minister and minister for education says the institute is to cater for the overwhelming number of school dropouts.
Bamutura says the rate of school dropouts in the kingdom stands at 60% and most of them dropout at S4 and S6 due to lack of school fees.
She expresses optimism that the institute will be able to take up such children.
This is the second institution of learning to be funded by Bunyoro Kitara kingdom after Hoima Nursing School which started two years ago.
Other initiatives are the Kabalega education fund and a number of the kingdom sponsored education scholarships.
In a message read to him by third deputy premier, Henry Muganwa Kajura, President Yoweri Museveni pledged government’s commitment to fostering Bunyoro’s development through infrastructural improvement and supporting education.
He announced government’s plans to take up the kingdom established Hoima nursing school and a number of road works such as the tarmac of the Kaiso-Tonya road and the Kyenjojo-Masindi-Kigumba road.
At the function, the Omukama also named his ten man land board to help him in dealing with land matters in the kingdom.
An elder Abi Hairora is the board Chairman while Harm Mugenyi-a lawyer and the Kingdom Attorney General is its advisor.
