Kampala – The Parliamentary committee on Education on Thursday May 10, approved Makerere University’s decision to abolish meals for government sponsored students in halls of residence.
Early this year Makerere University council passed a resolution to stop providing meals saying the little facilitation of Shs4,000 from government is affecting service delivery.
While appearing before the committee, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the university’s Vice Chancellor, told MPs that the Shs4,000 including breakfast, lunch and supper from government for students was affecting service delivery given hiking prices of commodities.
Prof Nawangwe added that providing meals to students has become so expensive for the university to handle and that it will be cheaper to give students money to look for meals from nearby food providers.
“Instead of trying to cook for the students, we are going to provide them with the money and then they can look for food elsewhere because most of them complain that the quality and quantity of food has gone down,’’ he explained to MPs.
Mr Cyriaco Kabagambe the University Dean of Students also explained that they made an informed decision after a survey where more than 50 percent of students recommended that the university gives them their money to buy food.
He added that the delays in remittance of funds by government has always affected the decision of service providers who are outsourced.
Despite concerns from a section of the public on the little money given to students, MPs seating on the parliamentary committee on Education yesterday agreed with university council to scrap meals.
Apparently each students is set to receive Shs4,000 for meals per day- a move that has angered students who think the amount is little for a student to have a decent meal.
Approval of the proposal by Parliament means there will be no more meals in the halls of residence effective June 2018.