Uganda Technical College (UTC) Lira is among the five higher institutions of learning around the country that will soon be rehabilitated by the Uganda government.
The government-owned technical institution with about 750 students has been operating in dilapidated buildings since its established 67 years ago.
The massive rehabilitation covers renovation of all the staff, administration, classroom and blocks, students’ dormitories, retooling the college’s learning workshops and capacity building for about 17 lecturers.
In March 2012, Members of Parliament on the science and technology committee toured the learning institution but they were shocked to find nearly all machines and structures in a sorry state.
On Friday, state minister for higher education, John Chrisestom Muyingo, told URN that the government of Uganda has received a loan amounting to 200 billion shillings from the Islamic Development Bank-IDB to implement the project. Muyingo, who was launching the rehabilitation project, says all the major technical institutions around the country will be massively rehabilitated.
The other colleges to benefit from the project include UTC-Elgon in Mbale, UTC-Bushenyi and UTC-Kichwamba in Kabarole among others.
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Maxwell Akora, chairperson UTC-Lira governing council who is also Maruzi County Member of Parliament, said the institution has been undergoing numerous challenges including shortages of learning structures, poor staff accommodation and meager grants from the government.
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Charles Ojilong, the college principal, says under the project the 5 workshops, three laboratories, 10 classrooms, and administration blocks shall be rehabilitated.
The project, ‘Skilling Uganda’, is being directly implemented by the ministry of education and sports and shall run for three years.
