Busitema University main campus closed over strike

By Faustine Odeke

Busitema university main campus hosting the faculty of engineering in Busia district has indefinitely been closed until further notice. Other campuses are not affected and were today afternoon operating normally.

The university management and governing council on Thursday took the decision following the persistent student’s unrest that interrupted academics since Monday.

The students were protesting a decision taken by the university to reduce on their faculty allowance for third year students from sh450,000 to sh350,000, demanded new identity cards and change of undergraduate gowns to look like those of Makerere University. 

Attempts by the guild president Nathan Otim to convince the students to abandon the strike fell on the deaf ears.

The vice chancellor professor Mary Okwakol said they decided to close the campus and immediately sent the students home to avert any possibility of destruction of property and lives.

Okwakol said they decided to reduce allowance for the engineering student from 450,000 to 350,000 and raise allowances for science students from sh115,000 to sh00,000 in abide to bridge the huge gap.

‘’We noted the students concerns and we promised to forward them to next council meeting scheduled for 30th October after we advised them to put the concerns in writing but some few students wanted to hit headlines when they ignored our advice and turned violet’’ Okwakol said.

Okwakol said they contracted a firm to design new gowns but was advised to redesign it because the colors were not matching with their expectation adding that they have equally acquired a new machine to make identity cards.

‘’Because the identity card project is very expensive to go by we have decided to acquire a machine to make cards for even our members of staff’’ Okwakol said.

The unrest broke out nearly two weeks since when the university held its 5th graduation ceremony on 3rd October.

Established in 2007, Busitema is a multi- campus university with campuses in Arapai-Soroti [faculty of agriculture and animal production], Mbale [faculty of medicine], Nagongera-Tororo [faculty of science education] and Namasagali [faculty of natural resources and environment]

** NEWS FLASH 8AM Friday

By Henry Sekanjako

Busitema University campus has been closed indefinitely following a four-day demonstration by the students over fees increment.

“The University administration has given students ten minutes to vacate the University,” a source in a told New Vision Thursday evening.

Students started a demonstration on Monday protesting an increment in tuition fees.

Busitema University is a public university with its main campus in Busitema Busia district in Eastern Uganda.