The Makerere University Guild President, Lubega Vincent Nsamba, has formally petitioned Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe to pardon students suspended following recent protests over delayed government allowances.
In his letter dated November 11, 2024, Nsamba explained that while the protests weren’t officially sanctioned, they were triggered by severe hardships faced by government-sponsored students who had been evicted from hostels and gone without meals for days due to delayed disbursement of living-out and food allowances.
“The situation had since created a lot of frustration among students,” wrote Nsamba, noting that the allowances were only released on Saturday after the Friday protests.
He emphasized that the students’ actions “were largely out of desperation rather than defiance.”
The Guild President also urged the administration to prioritize student welfare by ensuring timely release of allowances in future semester budgets to prevent similar confrontations between management and students.
The letter, bearing both the Guild office and Vice Chancellor’s office receipt stamps, appeals to the administration’s understanding of the financial strain experienced by students who depend primarily on government support for their basic needs.
