By KT Reporter
Kisumu County Governor Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o has emphasized the role of universities in promoting unity, cultural exchange, and mutual understanding among communities across the region.
Speaking during a visit to Kitgum District headquarters, Nyong’o said institutions of higher learning, such as Gulu University, play a critical role in bringing together people from diverse cultural and social backgrounds.
Nyong’o, who also serves as Chancellor of Great Lakes University in Kisumu, Kenya, noted that universities attract students from different parts of the world, providing a unique platform for cultural interaction and learning.
“When students from different backgrounds come together, they learn about each other’s cultures, and this helps to promote unity and understanding,” he said.
The Kisumu Governor was on a broader visit to the Acholi sub-region, following an invitation by Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo Chigamoi and Dr. Olara Otunnu, co-founders of ROCO PACO, a charitable organisation focused on healing communities affected by conflict and promoting development.
Nyong’o commended the Acholi sub-region for establishing its own university, describing it as a significant milestone in advancing education and socio-economic development.
“The university is a place where people from different backgrounds come together. This helps break down barriers and promotes understanding,” he said, urging residents to fully utilise the institution as a hub for cultural exchange and unity.
He further encouraged cross-border investment, calling on Ugandans—particularly leaders from Acholi—to invest in Kisumu County, while Kenyans also invest in northern Uganda.
“We want to see our brothers like Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo and Dr. Olara Otunnu invest in Kisumu, just as we also come and invest here in Acholi, so that the region continues to recover and develop after decades of insurgency,” Nyong’o noted.
He toured the National Memory and Peace Documentation Centre at the Kitgum District headquarters, which documents past conflicts in the region and Uganda’s political history since independence.
He later proceeded to the Madi Opei Town Council in Lamwo District, continuing his engagements in the Acholi sub-region.
Kitgum District Chairperson Arwai Christopher Obol welcomed Nyong’o’s visit, saying it would help strengthen ties between communities in Uganda and Kenya.
“We are happy to learn from our counterparts in Kenya and to strengthen our relationship,” Obol said. The visit underscored the importance of education, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation in fostering unity and sustainable development.
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