Makerere University Tourism students on strike

By Raymond Mujuni

Students at the Makerere University Faculty of Tourism went on strike after three weeks of no lectures.

The students started the strike on Friday morning by marching to the main building and demanding to speak with the vice chancellor of the university, Ddumba Sentamu. However they were delayed by over three hours as the vice chancellor was reportedly unavailable.

He later talked to the students and promised to address the situation.

The strike arises out of a failure to pay lecturers at the faculty for over two months. The lecturers in turn withdrew their services and stopped teaching until they have been paid a substantial amount of their salary.

Musa Magumba, a student at the faculty said they were fed up of not being taught and yet they had paid their tuition fees.

Efforts to get the spokesperson of the faculty were in vain as they were reportedly in a meeting to resolve the crisis.

Makerere University administration has complained of lack of funds due to constraints in students’ payment of tuition fees. According to the Vice Chancellor, only 30% of the students at the university have paid full tuition fees, a month to the end of the semester.

Guild President Ivan Bwowe said the students suffer from different economic constraints, but the university’s harsh policy doesn’t allow them sit exams without paying.  

The strike has been halted awaiting the outcome of a top level meeting of the faculty dean and the Vice Chancellor.