Reopening of Makerere University remains unclear

Post Date: November 22, 2016 Categories: Author: upfya

Makerere University remains closed following an order by President Yoweri Museveni for on Tuesday, 1st November 2016, citing insecurity due to strikes by lecturers over non-payment of their allowances for eight months and later by the students demanding for the resolving of the lecturers’ grievances so they can return to class.

Members of Parliament across the political divide have called for the immediate reopening of Makerere University as investigations into its management continue.

During the plenary session yesterday Hon. Anna Ebaju Adeke(National Female Youth MP) demanded that the University, which has performed better  than the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) in some innovations should be re-opened immediately adding on that the students continue to suffer due to the actions of the lecturers.

Obongi County MP, Hon. Hassan Kaps Fungaroo noted that the closure of Makerere University has a ripple effect on Mulago Hospital because the intern doctors who have been working in the Hospital are not there because the Medical School has also been closed.

Hon. Okupa Elijah demanded that Parliament finds time on the Order Paper for debate on the status of Makerere University and finds a lasting solution adding that Lecturers’ needs should also be looked into.

The State Minister for Education, Hon. John C. Muyingo said that the Head of State had instituted a team (the Visitation Committee) to investigate the problems at the university and will report in three months.

However, the UPFYA chairperson and also the Youth MP, Western Uganda thinks that if the university remains closed for a very long period of time then the university is likely to lose funding since most of the projects are funded by development partners.

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