By Ronald Dennis Bukomba
Two law students of Islamic University in Uganda, Thursday, January 4, 2021, petitioned the university administration seeking a refund of some the unutilized functional fees and tuition which they claim was affectedby the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent closure of schools in March 2020.
The petitioners – Ntuuyo Axam and SsebayigaAbdulswamad – who are both fourth year law students claim that they did not fully utilize services such as hostel and medical fees which are paid for under functional feesand tuition.
They argue that it was unfair for the university to implement the zero balance tuition policy which requires a student to have completed all the tuition obligations before they are allowed to sit for their final examinations.
This is captured in paragraph 10 of the petition which in part reads, “The implementation of the above policy was tybolic in a way that there was no 100% utilization of the tuition and functional fees as the semester was still at the start.”
“The petitioners wish to inform you that it was unjust and unfair that the university administration went on further to implement the zero balance policy given the economic downgrades that were caused by the pandemic.”
The petitioners state that the relationship between the university and students is contractual in nature and governed by Ugandan law.
They further state that this contract was frustrated by the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent closure of institutions of learning by the government which made it impossible for both the university and the students to meet their contractual obligations.
They also state that most students failed to sit for final examinations due to the strict implementation of the policy.
According to the university examination rules, siting an examination without authorisation or clearing tuition balance is considered an examination malpractice and is punishable by suspension or termination.
The petitioners are therefore asking the university administration to properly audit their books of accounts and compensate students by refunding part of the unutilized functional fees and also allow those who failed to sit for the previous year final examinations to progress undisturbed.
They have threatened to sue the university if the matter is not resolved.
The university yesterday received the petition and is yet toresponded.
Who are the petitioners?
Ssebayiga Abdulswamad is the former Guild Speaker(2019/2020) of Islamic University Students’ Union, a body which unites all the students of the campus. During his term in leadership, he protested the university decision to increase retake fees from shillings 50,000 to 100,000. In Febuary 2020, he vied for Guild Presidency but the ShuraCouncil, which vets candidates, dismissed his candidature without explanation. He believes in social justice.
Ntuuyo Axam is a passionate law student in his fouth yearand a politician. He is a member of the Alliance for National Transformation political party. In 2021, he contested for Councillor LC. V of Nakalama Sub-county.
Background
On March 18, 2020, the government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Health, ordered for a country wide closure of all institutions of learning in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel corona virus disease.
Later, in October, the government reopened schools for candidate and finalist classes with strict observation of Ministry of Health standards of operations in preventing the spread of Covid-19.
Many intuitions of learning that could not meet these standards resorted to using internet services to deliver their academic obligations.
Islamic University introduced online studies on November 21, 2020 and these were to end on December 20.
According to the university programme, students were asked to report back to campus on January 4, 2021 and examinations were to be conducted and completed within one week for selected faculties with strict observation of Ministry of Health SoPs.
