Construction of Kategaya Memorial Institute begins

Ntungamo District local government and the ministry of Education have constructed a technical institute in memory of former Deputy Prime Minister and NRM party historical Eriya Kategaya.

The institute is being constructed a few metres from the deceased’s home in Karagwe Village, Itojo Parish, Itojo Sub-county, Ntungamo District.
Kategaya died on March 2, 2013 of a blood clot at Nairobi Hospital. At the time of his death, he was minister of East Africa Community Affairs.

The promise
The institute was pledged by President Museveni during the burial, upon the urge of Kategaya’s cousin, Rev Can Keith Katakanya.

The Ntungamo District Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Kweyamba Ruhemba, said in an interview with Daily Monitor on Monday that the construction would have kicked off last year but it delayed due to disagreement over its location.

Nevertheless, construction is now in high gear, with the first phase expected to be completed at the end of this month.
Gremu Trading Company was contracted to carry out the construction work.

The institute is being constructed near Itojo Sub-county headquarters on the 25 acres donated by the Church of Uganda’s Itojo Archdeaconry. Some stakeholders wanted the institute built on government land at Ruhanga Parish headquarters.
“The leaders had disagreed on the location but it was later resolved,” Mr Ruhemba said.

He revealed that the district received initial funding of Shs350 million for the first phase of construction in September 2017.
“We were promised more Shs1.9 billion and we hope we shall have the indicative planning figures soon or information on how this money shall be got for further development,” he added.

The institute will offer courses in carpentry and joinery, building construction, sewing, hair making and cutting, design, Information and Communication Technology, mechanics and driving and welding, among others.

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