MBALE: Islamic University in Uganda has discontinued a first year student on account of premarital pregnancy contrary to the institutions’ rules.
In a notice dated 17th February 2017 seen by Campus Bee, the University Coordinator, Mr Abbass Samaali communicated the decision of the Disciplinary Committee which sat on 16th February, to Namayanja Teddy (Reg.No.116-033161-14711) pursuing a Bachelors in Education.
Namayanja had appeared before the Disciplinary Sub-Committee on 9th November 2016 on charges of premarital pregnancy contrary to University rules Part 15, 25(a), found guilty and the findings forwarded to the University Disciplinary Committee.
She was also advised on her right to appeal to the Executive Board in-case of dissatisfaction with the decision. Efforts to reach her for a comment have yet proved unsuccessful.
The notice, circulated to various stakeholders and students’ noticeboard, has provoked a fuss among students circles being a first such case in recent years.
Ramathan Shafi a fourth year law student opines that, “the institution has a right to uphold its rules, because in a contract you subject yourself to all the terms agreed and so does whoever joins IUIU. But the laws have to be applied subject to the Constitution.” Another female student who wished to be anonymous asked, “why not subject male to a similar test too? We are all Students.”
The University requires all female students to have a pregnancy test at a university-run clinic in the course of the every semester. Those found pregnant go through a process of explaining their circumstances.
It is not the first time a higher institution is reacting in such manner towards outside-marriage pregnacies, Uganda Christian University suspended several students in 2014 provocking social media, camp outrage and protest against what was labelled women discrimination and the girl child.
