Busitema VC threatens to close Soroti campus 

The Busitema University Vice Chancellor, Prof Paul Waako, has threatened to close the Soroti campus if students continue to violently protest over surcharge and other issues.

Prof Waako said the students at the Arapai campus in Soroti have continuously ignored calls for dialogue as a solution to several issues they raise.

He was speaking following the protests that took place on Tuesday at the campus over the surcharge that was imposed on students for late tuition payment. 

According to Mr Waako, the surcharge was approved in 2019 by the University Council to ensure proper planning.

“The issue of the penalty [surcharge] is not something to be debated about because you are given time to enroll on your portal for free but you don’t utilise that time,” Mr Waako said.

He said they have observed over time that students consider paying fees and registration a week or two to exams, which he said, is a bad practice and affects planning.

Mr Waako said students will pay the Shs50,000 surcharge as long as they do not adhere to the university policy of paying fees early, that is to say Shs25,000 after two weeks and then another Shs25,000 after 12 weeks for late enrollment.

However, Mr Melvin Kwemboi, the university guild president, requested that the management review the policy and waive the surcharge.  “We have a feeling that this policy if possible be waived completely as it affects students’ performance,” he said.

Among other issues the students were protesting are power outages, increased medical fees and delayed release of results.

The guild president also said the security at the campus is not conducive for the students and appealed to the authorities to look into the issue.

However, the Soroti Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Mr James Small Chemutai, commended the university administration for having come to listen to the student grievances.

He said some of the challenges will be sorted out one after the other and urged the students to concentrate on their studies for the forthcoming examinations.

In 2013, students at the campus went on strike after some of them failed to find their names on the voters list ahead of guild elections.

Background

This is not the first time the students at the campus are going on strike. In April 2017, the students at Arapai campus locked their dean out of office and destroyed property worth millions of shillings during a protest over lack of water after supply was cut off over non-payment of bills.