St. Ignatius University Kabale (IGUKA) has intensified efforts to build a sustainable financial base through an endowment fund, with church and civic leaders calling for increased investment in higher education to expand access to quality education and spur community transformation.
Speaking during a fundraising drive held at Sheraton Kampala Hotel last week on Friday, interim chairperson of the IGUKA Assembly of Promoters, Nobert Kagoro, said the university requires sustained investment in infrastructure, staff accommodation, scholarships and research to achieve its long-term vision.
He said the university had already made notable progress, citing the inaugural fundraising campaign held in Kigezi last year, which raised more than Shs130 million and attracted over 1,000 participants. A needs assessment conducted afterwards confirmed strong demand for a Catholic university serving the Kigezi sub-region.
Kagoro said Uganda’s growing secondary school population presents an opportunity for universities but noted that access to higher education remains uneven.
According to university officials, only 19 per cent of Uganda’s higher education institutions are located in the Western Region. The 2025 Baseline Education Census also recorded 249 education institutions in Kigezi compared to 2,065 in the Buganda region.
The officials said the figures demonstrate the need to expand higher education opportunities in western Uganda as increasing numbers of students complete secondary education each year.
Kagoro urged stakeholders to invest in students, describing them as future ambassadors of the institution.
“There are hundreds of secondary schools that provide a pipeline of potential students. We must ensure that the students we enrol become ambassadors of the university and create a positive ripple effect within their communities,” he said.
He also appealed for more scholarships and bursaries to support academically deserving students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Unlike many universities that establish endowment funds decades after their founding, St. Ignatius University began building its financial reserves in its early years. The University Council approved the Endowment Fund in June 2024 before it was officially launched in August 2025.
The fund is anchored on a permanent Corpus Fund, whose principal will remain intact while investment returns finance scholarships, research and infrastructure. It also includes restricted, unrestricted and quasi-endowment funds to accommodate different donor intentions.
The university plans to raise Shs800 million annually for the Corpus Fund over the next five years. More than Shs349 million has already been mobilised.
Kagoro appealed to individuals and organisations to support the initiative through financial contributions, sponsorship of students, research funding, infrastructure development or professional expertise.
By the close of Friday’s fundraising drive, supporters had pledged Shs217 million.
The chairperson of the University Governing Council, Prof. Nazarius Tumwesigye Mbona, said the institution was laying a foundation that would sustain its mission for generations.
“Our vision is clear. We seek to build an institution that provides quality education, creates opportunities and leaves a lasting legacy for future generations,” he said.
Representing Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, the NRM Deputy National Treasurer, Jacqueline Kyatuheire, commended supporters of the initiative and urged Ugandan’s to take responsibility for developing their own institutions.
“There is nobody who will build for us. We must do it ourselves. Every contribution, however small, makes a difference,” she said.
In a message delivered through Kyatuheire, Tayebwa praised the Apostolic Administrator of Kabale Diocese, Rt Rev. Callist Rubaramira, for championing education and other development initiatives. He also contributed Shs50 million towards the Endowment Fund.
Bishop Rubaramira, who is the university chancellor, said the Catholic Church has historically established schools alongside churches because education is central to its mission.
He credited Fr Vincent Kanyonza for spearheading efforts that led to the establishment of the university and said the institution would focus on practical training to address the region’s development challenges.
“We have established this university not merely to imitate other institutions. We want to make a difference by providing practical skills in agriculture, tourism and other disciplines so that our people can transform their lives,” Bishop Rubaramira said.
Licensed by the National Council for Higher Education in 2023, St. Ignatius University Kabale admitted its first students in January 2024.
The university currently has more than 300 students against a capacity of 1,000 and offers 10 accredited programmes in education, agriculture, business, tourism, science laboratory technology and health informatics.
