Prime
Uganda Pentecostal University students demonstrate over graduation postponement
Police escort the UPU Vice chancellor, Nasani Batungi to a students meeting on Tuesday. Photo by Scovia Atuhaire
What you need to know:
- By Press time, the situation had normalised with both parties agreeing on February 24 as the graduation day.
- Students said the postponement has put them in losses because they had already booked places for parties.
KABAROLE. Students at Uganda Pentecostal University (UPU) in Fort Portal on Tuesday demonstrated protesting the administration’s decision to postpone graduation from January 27 to February 24.
UPU administration on Monday held a senate meeting and resolved to postpone the graduation ceremony among others to first clean the graduation lists. About 750 students were set to graduate on January 27.
Students held placards, some of them reading: “Graduation on January 27 a must” and hooted trumpets and blew whistles that attracted a heavy police deployment at the university campus at Kahungabunyonyi.
UPU vice chancellor Nasani Katungi, who addressed the students amid tight security said:
“Following the closure of Busoga University, we got information that we are next. Some of the reasons why Busoga University was closed are that some students graduate without doing exams” Mr Katungi said.
He said the university administration reached a decision to postpone the graduation following a whistle blower who revealed that some students were on the graduation list and yet they did not sit for the exams.
“When we got information that some students were on the graduation list and yet they did not sit for the exams, we decided to postpone this graduation to investigate the matter and make sure that only qualified students appear on the graduation list and go with their transcripts on that day,” he said.
Mr Katungi said he has called for all results from the faculty deans to crosscheck and make a proper graduation list.
The Academic registrar, Mr Noel Twinomujuni said they have all the results of students supposed to graduate but they need to do thorough investigations about the graduation list and come up with a proper one.
Mr Hillary Asiimwe, the former UPU guild speaker, who spoke on behalf of students said:“We are so disappointed and confused about the decision to postpone graduation with in a short period because we have been remaining with only four days to graduation. Some of us come from very far and others have already organised parties” Mr Asiimwe said.
Students said the postponement has put them in losses because they had already booked places for parties. Other students had travelled from Kenya and Tanzania among other places.
By Press time, the situation had normalised with both parties agreeing on February 24 as the graduation day.
