An official at the Aga Khan University has announced that the institution will soon start the construction of the Aga Khan University campus in Arusha soon. This will make Arusha, which houses the headquarters of the East African Community (EAC) and allied regional organizations, play and integral role as the intellectual, political and social hub of the region.
The project is a section of the planned $500 million expansion plan in East Africa by the Aga Khan. It seeks to admit students in health sciences and arts from across the East African region — notably from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
Senior officials from the EAC who visited the site, located four kilometers from the heart of the city along Dodoma Road on Friday, were briefed that all was ready for start of the project. The site covers a total of 3,200 acres, and the potential area for investment sits on 1,700 acres.
Jesca Eriyo, the EAC deputy secretary general said the East African Community was keen to see the project come to material so as to benefit the region in areas such as training the youth in various academic disciplines.
The project will “identify areas of co-investment and partnerships with locals by engaging civil society groups and other community-based lobbies to build human resource capacity,” she said.
The president of the East African Court of Justice Mr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja expressed gratitude to the Aga Khan for the success of Aga Khan Foundation projects, adding that the East African Community was committed to offer all the necessary support to facilitate the success of the university.
The Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly Mr. Daniel F Kidega said the regional Assembly was keen to formulate the relevant legislation to support the vision of the Aga Khan.
In 2007, the Aga Khan announced plans to set up a major university in Arusha, representing the largest expansion for AKU since the opening of its first campus in Karachi, Pakistan 25 years ago. The architectural design plan for the project is already in its final stages.
