Long queues as Makerere students are counted

Long queues. PHOTO/Meddie Musisi

Makerere university students have on the second day braved the long queues and the scorching sunshine to undergo physical head count.                    

The visitation committee constituted by President Yoweri Museveni last November to try to get to the bottom of the breeding grounds of the endless strikes at Makerere yesterday embarked on a 20-day head count exercise for students.  

The exercise, which is aimed at establishing the precise number and status of students at the university, comes at the time when the committee chaired by former higher education state minister, Dr. Abel Rwendeire, is already collecting information on the individual contributions of the academic staff towards the institution's core functions - teaching and learning, research and knowledge transfer partnerships.

In a January 16 circular to the students' community, Alfred Masikye Namoah, the University academic registrar, said the head count exercise will kick off on January 23, and asked the students to cooperate with the team.

Efforts to get comments from Rwendeire were futile as his known telephone line was off. However, a member of the committee, who could not be named because he is not authorized to speak on its behalf, said the exercise is also aimed at confirming the accuracy of the information in the University database on student population, staff and their responsibilities.

"The head count is part of the terms of reference given to us by the visitor (president in accordance with the University and other Tertiary Institutions Act) of the University," a member said. 

The university management appealed to all continuing students to carry with them University identification cards and admission letters to the designated venues at their respective colleges, starting on Monday, for the exercise.

The first year students will be required to present registration forms and admission letters as well as their former secondary school identify documents or a national identity card.

The University ‘strongly' warned that students who will miss the verification will no longer be regarded to be learners at the institution and shall be expunged from its records.

A comprehensive head count of the students at Makerere and verification of the individual contribution of the academic staff to the University's core function is part of the committee's terms of reference.