Muni University has petitioned Arua City Council for an additional 700 acres of land to support its expansion, citing severe infrastructure constraints amid a steadily growing student population.
The request was formally presented on Monday afternoon by Vice Chancellor Associate Professor Simon Anguma Katrini, who told councillors that the university’s current landholding is inadequate for its long-term development needs.
Muni University’s main campus sits on 130 acres on Muni Hill, land originally donated by the defunct National Teachers College Muni. University authorities say the space can no longer accommodate planned academic, research and support facilities required of a modern public university.
Anguma said the additional land would enable the establishment of eight new faculties, including a medical school, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Social Services, among others. He noted that the expansion is critical to positioning Muni University as a competitive and internationally recognised institution.
For several years, the university has eyed land within the Arua Central Forest Reserve (Barifa Forest), adjacent to the campus. However, efforts to degazette part of the forest stalled in 2013 after Parliament halted the process, citing procedural irregularities.
Local leaders revisited the issue during the council session. Godfrey Anguyo, councillor for Ayivu Division North, blamed the failed degazettement on selfish interests within government, while James Adia, councillor for Ayivu Central, said the process must be reinitiated if the university is to secure land near its existing campus.
Doreen Onyiru, the female youth councillor, appealed to government to reconsider degazetting Barifa Forest, arguing it remains the only viable land close to the university.
However, Arua City Mayor Sam Wadri Nyakua advised caution, recommending that the petition be referred to the Committee of Production and Natural Resources for detailed scrutiny—a proposal seconded by City Council Speaker Teddy Yeko.
Established in 2013 by an Act of Parliament, Muni University has grown from a single faculty to six operational faculties, offering 34 academic programmes. According to the Academic Registrar, the university currently enrolls 3,143 students, a figure expected to rise in the coming years.
University leaders say resolving the land question is crucial to sustaining growth, expanding access to higher education in the West Nile region, and supporting national development goals.
