MUBS owed nothing

Nov 26, 2003

THE Government does not owe Makerere University Business School (MUBS) any money, education minister Dr Khiddu Makubuya has said.

By Henry Mukasa and Milton Olupot

THE Government does not owe Makerere University Business School (MUBS) any money, education minister Dr Khiddu Makubuya has said.

In a statement to Parliament yesterday, Makubuya said the Nakawa-based school could only be experiencing budgetary problems and should use internally generated funds to meet any shortfalls.

“The governing council of MUBS should review the school’s budget with a view to revising it so that it reflects the anticipated claims by students now that it has been established that MUBS doesn’t qualify for any supplementary payments and doesn’t therefore expect any additional budgetary appropriations over and above the sh2.9b already approved by Parliament on the basis of sh2.6m per student as a unit cost, a unit cost MUBS shares with Kyambogo University,” Makubuya said.

He, however, said the Treasury would release sh233m in 10 to 14 days to help the school overcome the current cash flow problems and pay student allowances. He said the money would be regarded as an advance payment for MUBS third quarter (January - March).
But Parliament directed that the money be immediately released.

Parliament also adopted a motion raised by Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri) that Makubuya’s statement and university students’ strikes be referred to the parliamentary committee on social services for further scrutiny and report back on Tuesday.

MPs demanded a ministerial statement explaining the strikes by Makerere University students on November 17 and that of MUBS government-sponsored students the following day, protesting delayed payment of living-out allowances.

Later, MUBS principal Wasswa Balunywa told a press conference at his office that the education ministry had committed itself to pay the money needed to cover 700 students at a September 26 meeting.

Balunywa said the denial that the Government owed the school money, confirmed a conspiracy by ministers, the Government and Makerere University to fail MUBS. Makubuya denied this.

Makubuya said in his statement that Balunywa’s earlier claim for additional funds had been made on a wrong premise and that there was no warrant to give the school supplementary appropriation.
He said the money remitted to MUBS was enough to cater for the 1,090 government-sponsored students there.

Makubuya ordered the students of MUBS to return to class and desist from disrupting the operations of the business school.

MUBS, an affiliate of Makerere University, was created by the Government in 1997. The school and its parent university have had a love-hate relationship. Balunywa, with several students, witnessed the proceedings from the gallery.

Makubuya amused Parliament when he regretted his absence when he was supposed to present that statement last week, saying it was for “security reasons.”

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