Students’ protest forces Makerere to revise fees policy

Makerere University has revised the 15 percent cumulative tuition policy following one week students’ protest that had paralysed business in and around the university.
The university council in July 2018 approved the policy that sanctioned a 15 percent increment on both tuition and functional fees, over the next five years.

Since October 22, students have been protesting the policy on grounds that it was unfair and making education services expensive at Uganda’s oldest public university.
In an emergency meeting with student leaders on Tuesday, the university council agreed to scrap the 15 percent increment from functional fees for the next three years.

“The 15 percent adjustment in fees shall not apply to functional fees for the remaining period of implementation of fees structure adopted in July 2018. Functional fees shall be capped at the rate applied on the admission cohort for 2019/2020 academic year for the next three years,” reads part of the statement signed by the council chairperson Ms Lorna Magara and the council secretary Mr Yufuf Kiranda.
However, the university council maintained that the 15 percent fees adjustment shall continue to be applied on tuition fees for the remaining period of three years.

Justifying the fees adjustments, the university council noted that it was conscious of the financial requirements to run the university alongside the economic circumstances in the country.
Further, the council said Makerere had not increased fees for 13 years before the current fees structure was passed.

The council also ordered for investigations into alleged involvement of two top university officials; Gordon Murangira, the Personal Assistant to the Vice Chancellor and Prof. Eria Hisali, the Principal of College of Business and Management Sciences, in sanctioning military raids and brutalization of students at the institution.

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Three nights of terror at Makerere

The military police raid at Lumumba Hall started at around 6:45pm, according to a student who followed the events from their rooms

"That the allegations of threatening and battering students are taken seriously and need to be investigated. The chairperson of the council needs to communicate the matters of alleged threatening and battering of students to the vice chancellor," the council's statement reads further.
As a result four-member select committee of council was formed to investigate the two officials and allegations of threatening and battering students.

Members of the select committee are Mr Dan Fred Kidega, Ms Jolly Uzamukunda Karabaya, Mr Fredrick Kitoogo and Mr Stephen Kagoda.
The council also resolved that the four cases of suspended students be handled by the student disciplinary committee within two weeks and that the suspended students be allowed to sit exams in case the student's disciplinary committee has not concluded their matters before the examination period.

The meeting between the council and student leaders was called after President Museveni telephoned the guild president Julius Kateregga and Ms Magara on Tuesday morning asking them to dialogue and resolve whatever contradictions exist around the fees conundrum.

Mr Museveni also ordered military police to withdraw from the institution.

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“President Museveni has urged all stakeholders in Makerere University to dialogue and resolve whatever contradictions exist around the fees conundrum. This morning, the President has spoken to the university council chair and the guild president, urging them to meet. He has also ordered the withdrawal of the military police from the university. The Uganda Police will maintain law and order,” senior presidential press secretary, Mr Don Wanyama said on Tuesday.