Varsity leaders ask for dialogue with Museveni

Kampala. Leaders of higher institutions of learning have written to President Museveni demanding for a special meeting with him.
Speaking during the launch of the Uganda Christian University Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication on Friday, the university vice chancellor and also chairperson of the Vice Chancellors Forum, Rev Can John Senyonyi, said such a meeting will give an opportunity for government to pass on their development objectives and priorities to the universities.
He added that university leaders would also use the meeting with the President to discuss key challenges they are facing and forge a way on how best they can mitigate them to improve the quality of higher education.
“I have today (Friday November, 23) sent a letter to the President asking him to schedule for us a meeting. This has been on our hearts for long, other countries like South Africa have done it therefore the President should at least get one day for us,” Can Senyonyi said.
He said without such a meeting, government will never know what the universities are doing and how best they can implement their key priorities.
Can Senyonyi outlined some of the challenges private universities need to meet and discuss with the President including the unfair taxes which are affecting the growth of higher education.
He cited Value Added Tax (VAT) which he says makes construction and development works in the university too expensive.
“This tax and others need to be completely waived or reduced significantly since government is concerned about development. Right now if I am to put up any building at the university, it is very expensive,” he added.
Mr Don Wanyama, the senior presidential press secretary, said he was yet to confirm the receipt of the letter from university leaders.
“I am out of the country. I can only crosscheck when I return,” Mr Wanyama said.
The Journalism, Media and communication faculty, which was launched on Friday, brings the total number of faculties at the university to eight.
The dean, Dr Monica Chibita, said the faculty will be under two departments, the department of journalism and media studies headed by Dr Emily Comfort Maractho and communication department headed by Dr Angella Napakol.

Focused decisions
She said the elevation to the level of a faculty makes them better placed to make more focused decisions for the journalism profession.
“The faculty will be able to groom people who can report accurately and in a professional way because audiences are changing,” Dr Chibita said, adding that the faculty status gives them an energising force to engage the needs of the industry and give birth to new programmes.
The Norwegian Ambassador to Uganda, Ms Susan Eckey, who was guest of honour during the launch, underscored the need for professionalism in media if the era of fake news is to be wiped out.
“The quality and relevancy of study programmes are key in order to address the needs of the media and society,” she said.
The elevation of the department to a faculty is largely attributed to the partnership with the Norwegian Government under the NORHED programme.
According to Dr Chibita, the journalism department was able to be made a faculty because of its consistent number of student intake, the staff capacity, the facility and space.
The journalism faculty boasts of modern television editing studios, a multimedia laboratory and The Standard community newspaper.