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Kyambogo management insists on new fees policy
Kyambogo University students demonstrate during a strike over the new fees policy on Monday. PHOTO BY JOSEPH KIGGUNDU.
What you need to know:
The university management says the students should pay 100 per cent tuition by the sixth week of the semester to ensure good services.
KAMPALA.
Kyambogo University top management has unanimously agreed to sustain the new fees policy requiring students to pay 100 per cent tuition by the sixth week of the semester.
The university council on Tuesday agreed to sustain the policy, which sparked off a students’ strike on Monday, against a backdrop of a financial crisis. A source on the 21-member body said: “Council decided that the students either pay the money as required or go back home.”
The university is reportedly facing a financial deficit of Shs8 billion. Nearly all staff have reportedly not been paid for at least two months. Utility providers are threatening to stop providing services over failure to pay them.
University spokesperson Lawrence Madete yesterday reiterated the decision, saying it is warranted to ensure that students get good services. “Council, however, made some amendments in the policy. All students are to pay their respective fees in six weeks, and those who pay only 50 per cent in this period shall be required to complete in eight week,” Mr Madete said.
He added that those who pay only 50 per cent in the eight weeks shall be given two extra weeks to complete payments, but this shall attract a compulsory surcharge of Shs20,000 for continuing students and Shs50,000 for new ones. “This is to discourage students from delaying payments while expecting good services. Those who fail shall be forced to take dead years,” Mr Madete said.
The student’s guild president, Mr John Mugabi, however, expressed fear over alleged increased misappropriation of money paid to university accounts. “Students are not against paying but rather troubled by the little value for fees. Where does our money go? We are calling for a general assembly this week to see how we progress with that decision,” he said.
Last year, the university was plagued by a series of corruption scandals. More than Shs10 billion remains unaccounted for and the debt burden stands at Shs10 billion, from an estimated budget of Shs63 billion.
Early this week, students at the university staged a violent strike in which several students were injured.
Five students have consequently been suspended by the administration over the matter.
