Students rise on the inefficiency of the university in service delivery.

Written by: 
Patience Akampa

Police fired teargas as they conflicted with students at Makerere University, these demand that the tuition policy be revised and their halls renovated.

Barely a month into the semester, students from the different halls of residence staged a demonstration demanding for the fast completion of their hall lavatories and termination of the 15% tuition increment.

In July this year, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the university Vice Chancellor in a social media post said the university council had approved a 15 percent increment in all major programmes at university as proposed in students' committee report.

“ Makerere University Council has approved a new Fees Structure for undergraduate students starting 2018/2019 Academic Year with an increase of 15%. This will enable Management make major improvements in service delivery and infrastructure so that our students can have an experience of a top Universit,” pro Nawangwe posted.

According to information available, Monday's demonstration was masterminded by government sponsored students who laid strategies for the day in the night, they were joined by concerned private students.

Students told this website that it is tempting for the administration to increase functional fees with no legitimate roots in the new tuition policy.

Elijah Nambago, Guild Representative Council (GRC) for Liberal and Performing Arts told journalism@mak that students will continue striking for as long as the university does not open up on given policies that affect them directly.

He adds that for the good of the university, the respective authorities need to carry out their duties effectively.
"Had they completed the renovation of the different wash rooms in halls, would the students rebel?’ he asked adding that “tuition increment has been there for almost three months with no uprising, but with compiled inefficiency the student fraternity is always pestered to express their grief."

The administration said they are spending Shs 1.3 billion on renovation of the toilets in halls of residence.

This is why the students need fair and swift accountability for their resources.

According to the hall chairpersons, the process is too slow and for the past two weeks the renovation was on a standstill in almost all the halls and the administration remains silent.