Dr Joanes Nyongesa of Southern Medical and Technical Training College(left),Chancellor of Mbale North Diocese Isaac Nakoko(c) and Rt. Rev. Samuel Gidudu, the Bishop of Mbale North Diocese and patron of the institution…..Photo/IP
BUWALASI, Uganda (IP)
The Church of Uganda’s Mbale North Diocese has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kenya-based Southern Medical and Technical Training College, paving the way for the transfer of the historic Bishop Usher Wilson Theological College, Buwalasi, for use as a medical and technical training institution serving eastern Uganda.
Rt. Rev. Samuel Gidudu, the Bishop of Mbale North Diocese and patron of the institution, said the agreement outlines a structured path toward handover while ensuring that all activities remain within the terms of the MoU.
Gidudu said all official communication regarding the transition and future operations of the campus will be issued through his office and the management of Southern Medical and Technical Training College to prevent the spread of conflicting information.
“There is a need to guard how information is disseminated so that the public is not misled,” Gidudu said, dismissing rumors suggesting the involvement of a third party. He said the agreement is strictly between the church and the college.
Southern Medical and Technical Training College Managing Director Dr. Joanes Juma Nyongesa said the institution is prepared to assume operations once while handover is finalized.
He said the new college management will rehabilitate dilapidated infrastructure, spruce up the compound and move to full-time operations within a short period.
Nyongesa said that as part of the institution’s corporate social responsibility, the college will partner with surrounding communities to support poultry and piggery farming projects aimed at improving household incomes and skills transfer.
He added that he and Director of Administration Phillip Wanyonyi Wekesa are present at the Buwalasi campus as from Monday, Jan. 12, and will oversee preparatory operations and ensure systems are in place as the institution begins admitting new students.
Gidudu said the Mbale North Diocese will continue to cooperate fully with the college in line with the MoU, describing the partnership as both a restoration of a historic church institution and a response to youth unemployment, healthcare skills shortages and regional development needs in the Mt. Elgon area.
The meeting was attended by Isaac Nakoko, the chancellor of the Mbale North Diocese, Patrick Nabana, a representative of Umukuuka III Jude Mike Mudoma and the community liaison officer, as well as legal representatives of the diocese and officials from the Bugisu Cultural Institution.
Southern Medical and Technical Training College is managed by a regional team that includes Prof. Tom Ochola, the chief executive officer, alongside Dr.Nyongesa and Wekesa.
