Makerere wants fees raised to sh6m
Apr 12, 2011
MAKERERE University wants the Government to quickly approve a proposal to raise fees to sh6m, up from sh3m per student per year.
By Mary Karugaba
MAKERERE University wants the Government to quickly approve a proposal to raise fees to sh6m, up from sh3m per student per year.
According to the university secretary, Muhwezi Kahunda, sh6m is an average cost but it will differ from course to course. The new fees will affect both government, private and foreign students.
Appearing before the Parliament public accounts committee yesterday, Kahunda said the new fees structure should take effect next academic year.
“This is an urgent matter that the university wants to be approved immediately because we are charging very little. If approved, the question will be who will meet the cost,†Kahunda said.
Kahunda told the committee that the proposed figures were recommended by the Auditor General after a study on how much it takes to educate a student in a public university.
The university bursar, Joshua Karamagi, said despite government’s support to public universities, the expenses incurred at Makerere were still high.
According to the Auditor General’s report to Parliament for the financial year ending June 2008, the university spent sh13b over and above the budget.
Due to high costs, the auditors noted that during the year, the university incurred outstanding arrears of sh16b.
Karamagi said the domestic arrears arose as a result of staff going on strike at the end of 2007 when they were demanding salary increment.
“Government advised that the university could use its own internally generated funds and that the Government would reconsider funding in the next budget. However, we have not got the money up to now,†Karamagi said.
Committee members Nandala Mafabi, Oduman Okello and Grace Oburu argued that Makerere tuition fees were still high and expressed worry that if implemented, the proposed fees structure would affect the poor.
“Sh6m per student? Parents and students should now brace themselves for hard times ahead. I don’t know why Makerere charges high fees despite the fact that it is a public university,†Mafabi said.
Since 2005, the university has always wanted to increase tuition, but has faced stiff resistance from students and the public.
In 2007, university lecturers went on strike saying they were being paid little because students pay less.
It was not until last year that Makerere, like other public universities, hiked its fees by 40%.
A law student who used to pay about sh700,000, now pays pays sh1.5m.
The committee also directed the Parliament Police to investigate individuals who were advanced university funds amounting to sh6b and never paid back within the stipulated time.
“These people should be prosecuted for ‘eating’ government money. They were given money, they did not account for it in time and never did what they were supposed to do,†Mafabi said.
However, Karamagi explained that the advances were given to staff and faculties. The money was advanced mainly for industrial training, field work and school practice, Karamagi said.
He added that out of sh6b, a total of sh5.7b had been fully accounted for and the balance was yet to be accounted for.
MAKERERE University wants the Government to quickly approve a proposal to raise fees to sh6m, up from sh3m per student per year.
According to the university secretary, Muhwezi Kahunda, sh6m is an average cost but it will differ from course to course. The new fees will affect both government, private and foreign students.
Appearing before the Parliament public accounts committee yesterday, Kahunda said the new fees structure should take effect next academic year.
“This is an urgent matter that the university wants to be approved immediately because we are charging very little. If approved, the question will be who will meet the cost,†Kahunda said.
Kahunda told the committee that the proposed figures were recommended by the Auditor General after a study on how much it takes to educate a student in a public university.
The university bursar, Joshua Karamagi, said despite government’s support to public universities, the expenses incurred at Makerere were still high.
According to the Auditor General’s report to Parliament for the financial year ending June 2008, the university spent sh13b over and above the budget.
Due to high costs, the auditors noted that during the year, the university incurred outstanding arrears of sh16b.
Karamagi said the domestic arrears arose as a result of staff going on strike at the end of 2007 when they were demanding salary increment.
“Government advised that the university could use its own internally generated funds and that the Government would reconsider funding in the next budget. However, we have not got the money up to now,†Karamagi said.
Committee members Nandala Mafabi, Oduman Okello and Grace Oburu argued that Makerere tuition fees were still high and expressed worry that if implemented, the proposed fees structure would affect the poor.
“Sh6m per student? Parents and students should now brace themselves for hard times ahead. I don’t know why Makerere charges high fees despite the fact that it is a public university,†Mafabi said.
Since 2005, the university has always wanted to increase tuition, but has faced stiff resistance from students and the public.
In 2007, university lecturers went on strike saying they were being paid little because students pay less.
It was not until last year that Makerere, like other public universities, hiked its fees by 40%.
A law student who used to pay about sh700,000, now pays pays sh1.5m.
The committee also directed the Parliament Police to investigate individuals who were advanced university funds amounting to sh6b and never paid back within the stipulated time.
“These people should be prosecuted for ‘eating’ government money. They were given money, they did not account for it in time and never did what they were supposed to do,†Mafabi said.
However, Karamagi explained that the advances were given to staff and faculties. The money was advanced mainly for industrial training, field work and school practice, Karamagi said.
He added that out of sh6b, a total of sh5.7b had been fully accounted for and the balance was yet to be accounted for.