Makerere deploys sniffer dogs, police to block fees defaulters

VC Prof Nawangwe

Kampala- Makerere University on Monday deployed sniffer dogs and police to manage the conduct of examinations to ensure no student accesses the lecture rooms without clearing their tuition.

Explaining the presence of sniffer dogs and heavy deployment at the university, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, said they were meant to block any students who attempted to frustrate the administration of examinations which started on Monday.

“Some people who have not paid their fees sometimes want to use force to enter examination rooms. We have deployed police to stop such people who may want to use force. We have been doing this for the last three years,” Prof Nawangwe told journalists at a media briefing yesterday.

He added: “We have a friendly fees policy. We can’t run a university when everybody waits to pay at the last minute. We call upon all sponsors not to wait for last minute calls.”

The students, according to the academic registrar, Mr Alfred Masikye Namoah, are expected to appear at the examination entrance rooms with their university identity cards and an examination card before they can be allowed to enter.

Blocked
Queues of students who were struggling to clear dues and those pleading to be allowed to do the examinations without completing payments were seen at the Senate and Main buildings.

The chief security officer, Mr Enock Abaine, said the sniffer dogs were being used to detect any dangerous materials that might harm the university officials reasoning that the “university houses important dignitaries”.