What was said in the Makerere University meeting

EDUCATION | POLICY

KAMPALA - Makerere University has agreed to suspend a proposed tuition increment for some undergraduate programmes following resistance from the guild leadership.

The decision was reached during a heated meeting Wednesday with the vice-chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, student leaders, Kampala East regional Police commander Wesley Nganizi and other Makerere staff.

Under the proposed tuition fees structure for the academic year 2018/2019 that starts in August, the University Council had raised tuition fees for postgraduate and some undergraduate programmes.

There was Police deployment at the main campus on Wednesday

Post-graduate diploma and master's degree students were now required to pay a minimum of sh5m per annum while doctoral students were expected to pay sh7m for any given programme applied for.

Yet over the past years, post-graduate students at Makerere have been paying tuition ranging between sh1.7m (for a postgraduate diploma in education) to sh5.7m.

"This is to inform you that following consultations with the chairperson of Makerere University Council, it has been agreed that the new fees for selected programmes in the College of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio Security and College of Humanities and Social Sciences be suspended until consultations are made with the students guild for their input," reads a letter signed by the vice-chancellor.

The suspension of tuition fees increment comes after two days of running battles on the university main campus between the Police and students, who were protesting the move, among other grievances.

During the meeting, the university management assured students that evening classes had not been abolished and nor were the semester examinations.

They also clarified about the proposal to stop giving government-sponsored students food and instead pay them sh4,500 per day as food allowance.

While addressing students on Wednesday, Papa Salim Were, the guild president, called on the students to stay calm and call off the strike since most of their problems had been addressed.

"We have come up with a committee which is going to discuss with the administrators and revise all the policies which were suggested," Were said.

"All the students who were arrested were released, but we are not happy with the Police. They mishandled us, yet we were peaceful," he added.

Sexual harassment

Meanwhile, in a tweet, the vice-chancellor thanked the female student who exposed university administrator Dr Edward Kisuze over sexual harassment.

A letter signed by Prof. William Bazeyo, the deputy vice-chancellor for finance and administration, stated that Kisuze was suspended to enable a smooth investigation into allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him.

"I encourage all students who are harassed to report those cases promptly so that we can stamp this vice out of Makerere," he tweeted.

I thank Ms. Njoroge for her courage in exposing the errant officer who harassed her. I encourage all students who are harassed to report those cases promptly so that we can stamp this Vice out of Mak.

— Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (@ProfNawangwe) April 17, 2018