Establishment of Mukono University Rakai Branch Hits a Snag

African Evangelistic Enterprise has refused to surrender the structures of the defunct Kakoma National Agricultural Organic Center in Rakai to pave way for the establishment of a campus of Uganda Christian University, Mukono. Kakoma National Agricultural Organic Center was established in 1990, under West Buganda Diocese. It was a research and training center for more than 100 agriculture students and farmers. Kakoma was also a demonstration center for modern farming techniques.

However, the center stopped operating after donors through the African Evangelistic Enterprise withdraw funding which paralyzed its activities. African Evangelistic Enterprise –AEE is in charge of the eight blocks which hosted lecture rooms and laboratories. AEE also has a running lease of the land on which the now defunct agricultural organic center sits. In 2011, West Buganda Diocese agreed to offer the structures of the defunct Rakai Agricultural Organic Center to Uganda Christian University to open its branch there.

However, African Evangelistic Enterprise-AEE has declined to surrender the buildings to UCU. Godfrey Makumbi, the Bishop of West Buganda Diocese says officials of African Evangelistic Enterprise wrote to him infoming him of their decision not to hand over the buildings to UCU saying they were still hunting for funds to rejuvenate the Organic Center. Makumbi says the refusal by AEE to surrender the buildings is ungodly because it hurts dozens of students in the district who asked the Diocese to persuade UCU to open up a branch there.

Rev.Canon Elisa Luzzi Kirumira, the Care Taker of Kakoma National Agricultural Organic Center says officials from African Evangelistic Enterprise donated the furniture and some laboratory equipment to the Masaka based Nile Vocation Institute. He says this is a clear indication that AEE has no plans of reopening the agricultural institute. Kirumira says that building have now become a home to robbers and rodents.

Geoffrey Byarugaba, the National Team Leader of African Evangelistic Enterprise-AEE has not yet commented as he neither picked nor returned our repeated calls. If plans by Uganda Christian University to set up a campus in Rakai succeed, it will be the first university to operate in the district. The nearest university campuses are located in Masaka town. They include branches of Uganda Martyrs University, Kampala University and Muteesa One Royal University.