Over 13,000 Kyambogo University students to miss exams

A total of 13,855 private students at Kyambogo University are to miss end of semester examinations after failing to pay tuition in time.

The acting vice chancellor, Prof Eli Katunguka told the New vision on Tuesday after some of the affected students had threatened to protest the university move that was announced last Friday.

Prof. Katunguka said the students had not paid any money to the university since the semester started.

"For so long, the university has written to the affected students informing to clear their dues and register but all the information fall on the deaf ear," Katunguka Explained.

Recently the university launched a system that ended the practice of keeping students records, financial and the other institution's vital information manually.

The E-Campus system was invented in order to see all the activities at the institution carried out online.

During the launch, the university chancellor Prof. John Ssebuwufu said the information and financial management system was developed to help track payment of all fees by the students and it was connected to all banks in the country.

"It also manages information of students such results and records and it will be used to track all financial transaction carried out in the university," Prof. Ssebuwufu explained.

But, on Tuesday Katunguka said the students had not embraced the system adding that this has affected the university. 

"I don't know the exact total amount of the money the students owe the university but it is much to the extent that it has led us into massive loses," he said.  

Katunguka, the university has continued to experience funding challenges due to students' failure to pay tuition on time.

"How do you provide services when private students don't want to pay?" Katunguka asked.

He warned student with plans of forging the examination cards to sit the exams that they will be discontinued for that act. 

In statement issued on Monday to the students, the university council has given the students a grace period until December 20 to clear the fees to give the university ample time to prepare for their exams, due in the first week of January. 

The statement showed that by December 2, a total of 25,535 students, and only 11,680 had cleared the university fees while 13,855 had not paid.

Katunguka noted the heights number of students affected are third-year's with 5,866, followed by the second-year's with 5,322 students, first-year has 2,209 and 458 are fourth-year students.

The first semester, which started in August, ended on December 6 and students are expected to return for their end of semester one exams in the first week of January next year.

Katunguka urged parents to take interest to find out why their children have not yet paid tuition yet the semester ended. 

John Okuonzi, the university e-Campus principal investigator, said parents and sponsors of students should make use of the e-payment system to check their fees status.

"We have a link e-kampus.kyu.ac.ug that only requires one to have the student's number and password. If a student makes any payment in the bank, we immediately get a notification that is also reflected on the students' portal," Okuonzi said.