KAMPALA – The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Education Committee, Jacob Opolot says he is going to seek for extension of time from the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga to allow the committee continues with investigations into the Makerere University tuition increment saga before they can write their report.
He made the revelation on Friday while receiving a petition from three students on the 15% increment with the team calling on Parliament to halt the process saying the new policy if upheld wouldn’t only cripple accessibility to higher education, but also denies the country the resultant benefits of having the majority of the country’s population attain higher education.
Opolot said that the time given to the Committee was insufficient yet there are a number of stakeholders including going to the university for a fact-finding mission on the matter and so they will need to have more time.
“We are going to talk to the Speaker for an extension so that we give room to those who will gather the courage to come and open up to the sub-committees,” said Opolot.
It should be recalled that while directing the Committee to investigate the violence that marred the University last week, Kadaga had initially given the Committee two weeks that are ending mid next week to scrutinise the fees scandal, have recommendations and hence present their report to parliament.
Among other issues the committee is to investigate is the sexual harassment rumors in the university by the lecturers and in this, Opolot says he is about to name members on the two sub-committees that he is yet to establish purposely for this case.
