New Makerere university graduation gown sold on open market

Just days after launching a new graduation gown, Makerere University is in the process of patenting its design to protect it from counterfeiting.

The move comes as reports emerged this week that the newly introduced gown, to be used for the first time at the 67th graduation ceremony on February 21, has been counterfeited by local tailors in and around Makerere.

The Vice Chancellor Prof John Ddumba Ssentamu told this reporter that they had received reports of people duplicating the new gown. Prof Ddumba noted after patenting, it will be Makerere University with exclusive rights to produce and sell the gown to graduands.

According to him, the new graduation gown will be compulsory and paid for as part of graduation fees and that the university will seek backing of the government to implement this.

When asked whether making the academic gown compulsory will not attract more student demonstrations, Prof Ddumba said there is need to put some sense in students who demonstrate without reason.

In 2014, Makerere University announced an increment in the graduation fees from Shs90,000 to Shs220,000, prompting strikes by students. The then guild president Ivan Bwowe mobilised students to protest the move which they referred to as unfair. Following the students' strike, the increment was suspended.

Several tailors and gown dealers in Wandegeya, a city suburb just outside Makerere University, have began vending the newly introduced customised academic gown.

Dickson Kyewalabye, one of the dealers at the Makerere - Wangegeya small gate, revealed to this reporter that their gowns are cheaper compared to those offered by the university. While the university sells these gowns at Shs75,000, Kyewalabye said his goes for between Shs60,000 and Shs65,000.

"We have capacity to produce as many as 500 gowns, if you have friends who need the gowns, please tell them and we are not expensive," Mr Kyewalabye said.

When asked on whether the university authorised them to produce the gowns, Kyewalabye said that nobody has questioned their work since they started producing the gowns.

"As you are aware, they had not informed us before of the change in gowns, however even when they started issuing them out, we were told that the supplier was not going to meet the number required," he said.

When the university approved the new gown last year, it procured and authorised Team Uniforms, a tailoring company to supply gowns for this year's graduation ceremony.

The University Academic Registrar, Alfred Masikye Namoah, said it was unacceptable for people to start producing the customised gowns for which the university already procured a firm. According to him, the issue has been reported to police and Makerere Security Office to take appropriate action.

The new attire has Makerere's emblem and colours, two features that, until now, were a preserve for doctoral graduands.

In his January 19 circular to graduands, Mr Masikye, said the new gown had been approved by the University Council for both graduate and undergraduate programmes with effect from the 67th graduation Ceremony.

He added that the gown was professionally designed and unique with special Makerere University features/symbols that make it a preserve of the university.