Makerere University management has extended the deadline for students’ registration to Friday, November 8.

The university has also suspended charged slapped on students for late registration until technical breakdowns in the system are rectified.

In the academic year 2018/19, public Universities, Makerere in particular, adopted the Academic Information Management System (AIMS).  AIMS is an Integrated Educational management system that automates all the business processes by managing admission, billing and payments, programs and curriculum among others.

The system came with a twin method of raising money, surcharges worth 20,000 shillings which is levied on students who have not paid at least 60% of their fees by the 12^th week of the semester.

The system is however fond of regular breakdowns slowing business at the University. In a meeting between the students’ guild and University management on Monday, October 14, student leaders agitated for scrapping of these charges citing frequent breakdowns and hardships in raising tuition money.

“The surcharges are an unfair policy; the AIMS system is never stable. Moreover students struggle to get tuition. We urge you to remove these unjust charges.” Ezra Byakutangaza, the guild speaker pleaded to management.

Byakutangaza added that with the tuition increment, surcharges are an indirect way of kicking many Ugandans out of University.

The Guild Representative Councilor for Mitchell Hall, Ahumuza Sceaser, had no different views other than adding that surcharges can't go hand in hand with an increment in tuition which he described as "theft" of the highest order.

In the same meeting, the director Directorate of ICT Support (DICTS), Samuel Paul Mugabi, admitted to having constant breakdown issues with AIMS. “We still experience issues with the system because it's coordinated by the ministry (of education) but we are working towards its stability and reliability.” Mugabi said.

 The vice chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, in response wrote a letter to the guild president revoking surcharges.

“I have directed that all the charges accruing from late payment of fees for semester one of 2019/20 academic year be suspended until the AIMS system is rectified (AIMS),” reads Nawangwe's letter in part.

Students who had not met the initial registration deadline of Friday, October 18, were supposed to pay a late registration fine of 50,000 shillings. The slow registration process of new students justifies the postponement of the registration deadline. The AIMS constant breakdown also poses difficulties in online registration by continuing students.

Among other directives as per the vice Chancellor's letter is pinning of marks at schools. This has arguably been one of the issues schools have failed to address. Last year, School of Statistics students matched to the Ivory Tower in demand for their delayed marks. Last week, School of Education students attempted an unsuccessful match in demand for their marks.