MUK Guild: DP's Karamagi to push for tuition loan scheme

William Karamagi, the Democratic Party(DP) candidate for the forthcoming Makerere University guild elections has promised to push for a tuition-loan scheme which allows students sit for exams even if have not fully cleared tuition.

Karamaji, 22, a second year student pursuing a bachelor's degree in Community Psychology at the university said most students at the institution fail to sit for exams not because they do not have the money but because sometimes it is hard to meet the deadline. 

He explained that under this scheme, banks have been brought on board to design a system with the administration, in which they give tuition loans to students who are stuck.

"Many students get stuck with paying tuition not because they cannot raise the money, but because they cannot meet the deadline due to the tuition policy" Karamagi who is the former student affairs minister said.

"So the banks come in, give emergency loans and the student sits for exams, graduate in time and because students do not have collateral security, one does not expect them to have land title in the first year. The university administration comes in, withholds results and when you clear the bank later, the results are depicted," he added. 

"When I'm elected as the guild president, this will be my major area of focus. I will ensure the administration fully supports and implements it so that we do not have many students missing exams because of tuition as the situation has been" he added. 

Karamagi made the remarks during the weekly DP press briefing at the party's main offices at City House in Kampala on Tuesday. 

He contested in the party primaries against other two candidates and emerged winner with 25 votes.

DP's deputy publicity secretary, Alex Waiswa, said the party is committed to nurturing the youth and in particular supporting them to take up positions of leadership in higher institutions of learning.

Waiswa called upon students at Makerere University to accord Karamaji the necessary support for purposes of bringing back sanity to the institution as well as the whole country at large.