Makerere University has bowed to pressure and revised the 15 percent cumulative tuition policy after a one-week students’ protest.
The University last week experienced a nasty four-day protest against the 15 percent cumulative tuition policy approved by the university council last year as students protested against the move.
The 15 percent fees policy was approved by the university council in July 2018 for both tuition and functional fees, over the next five years.
In an emergency meeting held with student leaders on Tuesday, the university council resolved 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 said it was conscious of the financial requirements to run the university alongside the economic circumstances in the country, bearing in mind that Makerere had not increased fees for 13 years.
Meanwhile, the council also ordered for investigations into alleged involvement of two top university officials for sanctioning military raids and brutalisation of students at the institution.
They are; Gordon Murangira, the Personal Assistant to the Vice Chancellor and Prof. Eria Hisali, the Principal of College of Business and Management Sciences.
“The allegations of threatening and battering students are taken seriously and need to be investigated,” the council said.
It added: “The chairperson of the council needs to communicate the matters of alleged threatening and battering of students to the vice chancellor.”
A four-member select committee of council has been formed for that purpose. The members are; Dan Fred Kidega, Jolly Uzamukunda Karabaya, Fredrick Kitoogo and Stephen Kagoda.
Meanwhile, the four cases of suspended students will be handled by the student disciplinary committee within two weeks but the suspended students will be allowed to sit exams.
