Ugandan students in Cuba decry poor funding
Apr 21, 2009
UGANDAN students in Cuba live on $4(about sh8,000) a month, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has revealed.
UGANDAN students in Cuba live on $4(about sh8,000) a month, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has revealed.
Kadaga told reporters at Parliament that while on a visit to Cuba recently, the students cried out for adequate financial support from Government to cater for their living allowances.
“Our students in Cuba are in dire need. Those who went through the ministry are given $100, which is also taxed and then they remain with $75. Those who used other agencies, are given 1 Cuban Peso, which is just an equivalent of $4 per month,†Kadaga said.
Kadaga, together with other legislators, Latif Ssebaggala and James Kubeketerya had gone to Cuba to sign a protocol with the Cuban government to strengthen relationships between the two Parliaments.
According to Kadaga, the students also appealed for an acquaintance on the part of the Uganda Government, to enable them come back to serve the country after their studies.
Kadaga called for the need to match the awarding of scholarships, in line with the relevance of the courses that prospective students hope to offer. Currently, the Ministry of Education, State House, NRM Secretariat, and other local agencies give out scholarships to several students, according to Kadaga.
She noted that one body should be identified to handle the process and scrutinise the selected courses by the students, to asses their relevancy to the country.
Kadaga told reporters at Parliament that while on a visit to Cuba recently, the students cried out for adequate financial support from Government to cater for their living allowances.
“Our students in Cuba are in dire need. Those who went through the ministry are given $100, which is also taxed and then they remain with $75. Those who used other agencies, are given 1 Cuban Peso, which is just an equivalent of $4 per month,†Kadaga said.
Kadaga, together with other legislators, Latif Ssebaggala and James Kubeketerya had gone to Cuba to sign a protocol with the Cuban government to strengthen relationships between the two Parliaments.
According to Kadaga, the students also appealed for an acquaintance on the part of the Uganda Government, to enable them come back to serve the country after their studies.
Kadaga called for the need to match the awarding of scholarships, in line with the relevance of the courses that prospective students hope to offer. Currently, the Ministry of Education, State House, NRM Secretariat, and other local agencies give out scholarships to several students, according to Kadaga.
She noted that one body should be identified to handle the process and scrutinise the selected courses by the students, to asses their relevancy to the country.