Soroti University commissioned its long-anticipated main gate on Friday, September 25, 2026, a Shs1.2 billion facility equipped with advanced security and access-control systems designed to improve safety and movement at the institution . The project, executed by the National Housing and Construction Company Limited (NHCC), commenced on September 28, 2025, and concluded on May 15, 2026, with government funding supporting the development . The gate features a 60-metre wall fence, a security house with a detention room, 13 CCTV surveillance cameras, solar power systems, monitoring screens, walkways, gate-control facilities, and provisions for persons with disabilities .
During the commissioning ceremony, Prof. John Robert Ikoja Odongo, Vice Chancellor of Soroti University, revealed that the prolonged opening of the gate had nearly sparked unrest among students . He also proposed that vehicles entering the university be charged Shs5,000, except university and government vehicles, to help reduce reliance on government funding . Eng. Paul Anguria, Deputy Chief Estates Officer, noted that the facility integrates seven essential systems—architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical, fire safety, ICT/security, and external infrastructure—into a functional institutional gateway . The handover has initiated a six-month Defects Liability Period, during which NHCC will address any remaining issues on the snag list .Looking beyond the gate, Prof. Ikoja outlined a series of major infrastructure projects in the pipeline . These include a national hospital, a six-storey central teaching facility expected to accommodate 2,000 to 3,000 students, a new School of Engineering and Technology, accommodation for 2,000 students, and a police station . Derrick Mutegyeki, NHCC’s Deputy CEO for Finance and Administration, stated that the gate was built to last more than 80 years and would help regulate access to the university . Christine Alobo, Prime Minister of the Soroti University Guild, welcomed the opening, highlighting the challenges students faced using an improvised gate during construction, and called for the remaining open sections of the university fence to be secured for student safety.