Last Updated on: 26th April 2023, 07:52 am
Lira, April 26, 2023: Students of Lira University on government sponsorship have held a protest to express their dissatisfaction with the university administration.
Clad in blue undergraduate gowns, the disgruntled students, holding placards, expressed dissatisfaction with the administration.
The University guild speaker, Ronald Kule Mbinga who led a group of over 70 students was protesting shs720,000 allocations to each government student out of the shs144 million government allocates to them.
The allocation is part of the government’s support to students it sponsors in all public Universities across Uganda.
Among other issues, the students say the University has failed to address missing marks with evidence of sitting papers, accountability for guild fees, recess fee issues, accountability for ID fees, T-shirts and undergraduate gowns.
They also protested against unexplained increments of tuition for private students and allowances for government-sponsored students that cater for only 100 students out of over 250 students.
They also demanded accountability for the shs20,000 they pay per semester as a sports fee yet the institution has never participated in any sports activity.
The disgruntled students also want shs14 million allocated for the repair of street lights around the University since July last year accounted for. According to the students, the absence of lights within the University is exposing them to the cruel wrath of criminals.
Marvin Eddie Ssebuwutu, one of the government-sponsored students’ representatives (2021/22), said that the institution has never held nor participated in any competitions.
He also said that the administration has failed to stock hospital teaching facilities with drugs yet each student pays shs60,000 per semester, a fee that has never been accounted for.
However, the DPC of Lira City, Joseph Bakaleke shortened the protest, calling upon the students to instead have a peaceful dialogue with the administration.
Prof Jaspher Ogwal Okeng, the University Vice Chancellor said the challenges listed by the students are also being faced by students in other public universities like Gulu, Kabale and Soroti since the government does not cover the allowances of all the students.
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Nathan Hasahya Hagobi, the Bursar of Lira University, conversely confirmed that the University only receives shs144 million for 100 government-sponsored students.
“Since the financial year 2016/17, the government through the Ministry of Education and Sports has been allocating the same amount of money yet the University keeps admitting more government students with each entitled to receive shS720,000,” Hagobi added.
It’s against this background that Lawrence Egole, the Lira City Resident Commissioner challenged the University leadership to at all-time brief the students on some of the challenges they come up with.
According to Egole, it will curb conflicts that arise between students and the University administration.