MAKERERE – A section of students’ leaders at Makerere University have vowed to strike over the proposed 15 per cent tuition increment saying it is not reasonable for many students.
Those contesting the increment claim the guild leadership betrayed the students by hiking fees for all programmes.
“No one saw this coming, 15 per cent is too much. We as leaders are against it and we shall battle it using all means,” said Milly Namuddu, a member of the Guild Representative Council (GRC).
The guild leadership proposed a 15 per cent increment on tuition annually in a report they handed to the chairman of the University Council, Eng Dr Charles Wana-Etyem, at Makerere University on Monday.
In the report Mr Polly Bandola, the committee chairman, the, students’ leaders said instead of increasing tuition by 49 per cent and 91 percent, as it were in the earlier management proposal, there should be a uniform and moderate 15 per cent increment across all programmes effective 2018/2019 for the next five years.
“This means that a student who joins the university at a given fees structure with the 15 per cent factored in, shall continue to pay similar fees until he completes the course duration,” Bandola said adding that If adopted, the increment will start with the 2018/19 academic year.
The students now accuse the guild leadership of conniving with the university administration to pass draconian laws and unreasonable fees structures.
Ahmed Nsamba another member of the GRC said “such an increment [of 15 percent] has never happened in the history of the [Makerere] university. We can’t accept it.”
Asked what their next move would be, Nsamba said “that is obvious, we are going to meet and forge a plan as we wait for our colleagues to get back from holidays.”
Some students accused the Guild President Papa Salim Were on social media for going against their will warning that they will face him in August. [Makerere University’s academic year begins August].
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, said he was optimistic the Council would take the students proposals in a positive manner.
He said it is the first time students are trying to co-operate with the university since they have always rejected all proposals by the management.
