Makerere responds to student starvation allegations

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Makerere University management has responded to claims circulating on social media that students on government sponsorship are starving due to delayed stipends.

The allegations initially raised by Pastor Martin Ssempa on X and other media publications, suggested that many students were struggling with hunger because they had not received their housing and food allowances for the past three months.

In a statement released by the university on October 28, the administration disputed several of Ssempa’s assertions, providing clarifications about the current state of student welfare.

The statement emphasised that while there are some outstanding payments, various allowances have already been disbursed. These include; internship allowances, recess term allowances, first-year living-out allowances, and partial food allowances for continuing students.

“It is not true that students have not received their housing and food allowances for the last three months,” the university’s statement read. “Students with disabilities, their helpers, and continuing students have received various forms of support.”

The university also addressed claims that the government had reduced the student welfare budget, clarifying that the budget cuts were applied broadly to the entire university budget, affecting operations across the board. The university denied that these budget cuts specifically targeted student allowances.

Additionally, the management responded to concerns about students being prevented from cooking in their halls of residence, emphasising that the policy was in place for safety reasons.

“For the safety of all students, their property, and university property, students are not allowed to cook in halls of residence,” the statement noted.

The statement also countered allegations that low-cost food vendors were banned from operating on campus. Instead, the university claimed it had reorganized the vendors to improve service delivery. “University students receive affordable meals in their halls of residence,” the statement added.

Moreover, the administration rejected suggestions that it discourages students from voicing grievances, asserting that it promotes dialogue between students and the administration.

“The university management encourages dialogue with the student leadership on matters concerning their academics and welfare,” the statement said, emphasising that protests should not turn destructive or disruptive.

However, despite the university's response, many students and alumni took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustrations and question the administration's claims.

Pastor Martin Ssempa, whose initial comments sparked the discussion, criticised the university's response, describing it as “an effort at damage control.” He argued, “You seem to be unaware of the main crisis of student hunger. You have NO plan for it at all.”

Pastor Martin Ssempa. (File photo)

Students also shared their personal experiences, highlighting the gap between the university's assertions and their lived realities. Victor Taremwa, a student, posted, “Personally, since day one, I have never received anything like government money. I have been suffering all through. The landlord is soon throwing me outside. Don’t pretend, don’t lie, and don’t act professional.”

Others questioned the disbursement of allowances, pointing out discrepancies between the number of students supported and those registered in halls. A user known as WestNile Citizen remarked, “Does the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, ministry of Education and Sports know that of the 1,700+ government t-sponsored year ones given a place at Makerere, only 1,200 registered with their halls of residence, and government pays for the allowance of the 1,700?”

The adequacy of the allowances was also a point of contention. Asingura Andrina, another user, criticised the meager support, stating, “90,000/= is what you think ‘paying allowances’ means? How long can a student even last with this? With the current economy at that in such an urban place!”

Others took issue with the university's financial practices, accusing it of mismanagement. Ambassador BN wrote, “This is nonsense. Why do you always first invest that money meant for student affairs in your private enterprises? You keep on paying students in instalments, leading to poor financial planning among students.”