Staff shortage hits Mbarara, Gulu Universities

By Mary Karugaba    
                    
Mbarara University of science and technology and Gulu University have been hit by shortage of staff, making MPs question the quality of their graduates.

Scrutinizing the Universities’ documents on Thursday, the MPs on Public Accounts Committee discovered that out of the established staff structure of 1212, the University employs only 459 staff, representing 37%.

“Why don’t you close if you have no human resource? How can your human resource performance be at 37% performing? What type of graduates are you producing?” committee vice chairman Paul Mwiru wondered.

The Mbarara University Secretary Dr. Charles Kibirige said they were also very uncomfortable with the numbers but have no money to recruit the extra staff.

According to Kibirige, the University needs about 4.9b to increase the staff level to at least 50%.

“We are not happy but we have put it to government. We are waiting for their response,” he said.

During the meeting the MPs also heard that tHE University has been receiving lot of non-tax revenues and donor funds but has not been declaring it in the books of accounts.

The MPs asked them to account for sh1.6b that was not included in the budget and sh729m that was over paid during the financial year.

The MPs also interacted with the officials from Gulu University, where it was discovered that the University lacks most of the required academic staff.

The MPs discovered that some faculties do not have a single academic staff while others have only one out of the required number.

The most affected faculties are Center for Entrepreneur, Radiology, Religious Studies, Governance and International Relations, Environment and Natural Resources.

“I am extremely surprised that this is happening at Gulu University. Without the required academic staff, how do you effectively deliver on your mandate?  I think Government should close down this University,” Committee lead Counsel Eddie Kwizera commented.

Paul Mwiru, the Committee vice chairman said, “With 72% of the academic staff absent, you can imagine the quality of students the University is producing. I put it to you that you  are producing quarter baked students.”

Mwiru blamed the National Council of Education for not closing down the University.

The University Secretary Francis Ogola, explained that the University raised the red flag three years ago but nothing was done.

“Members, your concerns are our concerns. We raised a red flag on this matter but we never received any response. We have now resorted to visiting professors and lecturers,” he said.

He said the University needs over 346 academic staff, mainly professors, assistant professors, senior lecturer, lecturers and many other vital staff needed at the University.

He said recruitment plans were submitted to the Ministry of Education and Public Service but they were never honored due to budgetary constraints.