State House-funded students to miss university exams

By David Mugabe

Over 45 students of Mukono University and another score from other private universities are likely to miss their end of semester exams due to late remittance of tuition fees from State House.

Exams at the Uganda Christian University Mukono (UCU), one of the most affected institutions, are due to start on April. 

UCU students were supposed to have registered by January 20, but the deadline was extended to February 10, upon requests from the students, who were still seeking clarification from State House over the delayed tuition fees. 

Some of the students say they have made several visits to State House with repeated promises of the settlements until a few weeks ago when the university toldthem that it was too late to register them.

“Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ this is to inform you that your name was submitted late by State House and, therefore, could not be considered for registration in the January 2012 semester,” read the UCU letter signed by Faith Ahabyoona Mugisha from the UCU financial aid office.

The university further informed students in the letter, dated February 28, that they will continue on the scholarship next semester of study “if nothing changes.”

Another group from northern region recommended under the science promotion programme sought the help of internal affairs minister Hilary Onek.

Onek then wrote to the Principal Private Secretary to the President on January 24, saying the names of six students were deleted from the list under unclear circumstances “to the detriment of the students who are overdue for registration.”

“This is, therefore, to request you to urgently correct the anomaly before the students are discontinued from the university,” said Onek in the letter, copied to Peace Regis Mutuuzo from State House Welfare office. 

Kyambogo University students had, by March 23, also not received confirmation of their tuition disbursement yet examinations were scheduled to begin on April 30.

“We have been told that by April 13, everybody should have paid, we hope we get the money by then,” said one student from Kyambogo. 

Some students who chose not to be named said when they visited State House in February to inquire the status of their sponsorship, they were questioned on who recommended their names. 

One student said they were told the list had become so long and some of the seconded students had been put there during the 2011 elections. 

Sam Engola, the land state minister, who recommended some students from Lango sub-region said he had been informed that the money had been disbursed.

The Presidential press secretary, Tamale Mirundi, scoffed at the university’s decision to block the students from registering. 

He said some of the people and institutions operate on blackmail thinking State House funds are delayed because those handling them “eat” the money. 

“Why is it that Uganda Primary Education funds delay, but you don’t stop the children from attending?” he asked.

Mirundi added that if the institutions had verified the students were under the State House scheme, they should have been patient because State House had checks and balances. 

He said both the university and students should be grateful for the partnership with State House because there are hundreds, who want to get the scholarship even by way of bribery.

A June 2010 communication from State House signed by Mutuuzo, the senior private secretary to the president in charge of welfare, introduced some of the students to UCU during the time they were first introduced onto the scheme.

It is not clear whether the budget shortfall was the reason State House was asking for the recent additional budget support. 

A legislator told this reporter that there has been intense lobbying for the supplementary budget to be passed.