It is a sad end for Kampala University

By Anthony Mugeere What is the fate of Kampala University? What will happen to the former students of the university who have not yet completed their courses? Several questions remained unanswered as the controversy surrounding the former Kansanga-based private university took different twists throughout the week. While the new buyers were busy sorting out the paperwork for registering Kampala International University as a limited liability company, the former Kampala University management was busy clearing out. Tension and suspense gripped the campus last Tuesday as academic files, furniture, computers, textbooks, office stationery and other scholastic materials were loaded onto three lorries and several small cars to an unknown destination. A skeleton staff of the new administration immediately started admitting students even before the registrar of companies had put a seal on the Kampala International University Certificate of Incorporation. “We are here to register students and supervise renovations,” said one of the officials in charge of admissions. “We are ready to admit the old students because the university already fulfills all the conditions for licensing by the ministry.” But the status of the students of Kampala University is still a matter of contention. Some of them still owe fees to the old university while the files containing all their academic information are under the custody of the former vice chancellor, Prof. Badru Kateregga. Sources say Kateregga is not ready to hand over the files to the new administration because they belong to ‘his’ students. Yet, it is not known where Kateregga has moved ‘his’ Kampala university. “Some people say it will be located at the Peacock Paints headquarters in Industrial Area,” said a source under anonymity. “But the place is very small and is located in an industrial area. This makes it unsafe and there is no way the ministry of education can allow the university to operate in such a place.” Kateregga was, however, reluctant to disclose the new location of Kampala University when contacted Friday. “We are still not sure of the new place,” he told Education Vision. “We still need time to put the heavy load in order. The new place will remain a secret until next week,” he added. The former students are still in suspense. In a meeting held at the Kansanga campus last Thursday, about 120 students unanimously agreed to stay and continue with their studies at the newly registered but unlicensed Kampala International University. They appealed to the ministry to allow their ‘unconditional’ absorption into the university. “The ministry should save us from the uncertainty we are facing now by allowing us to join the new university,” said Ssali Hamidu Kyabalongo, the Guild President. “Kateregga should admit that things have gone wrong and hand over all our documents to the new university.” Aisha Dumba, the university health minister says all the students are ready to join the new university even if it charges higher fees than what they’ve been paying. “The cheapest degree course (Bachelor of Social Sciences) has been sh570,000 per semester while the most expensive(Architecture) has been sh900,000. “We are ready to pay any amount to complete our courses,” said the second-year Bachelor of Education student. Mr. Aggrey Kibenge, the Education spokesman, however, says Kampala International University must fulfill the minimum conditions of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, 1999, before it is licensed. The new buyers are yet to apply for a provisional license. Neither have they named senior university officials of the university, except new vice-chancellor, Prof. Henry Nsubuga and university secretary, Prof. Mwene Mushanga. Renovation, however, continues as Kateregga seeks a new site for Kampala University. Only time will tell whether his former students will follow him.