The Guild president of Makerere University Roy Ssembogga and other student leaders have given government up to Wednesday to have the university reopened.
Speaking during a press conference that was held at the university’s guest house today morning, Ssembogga argued that there is no reason for closing the university because auditing can be done while the campus is open and they are studying.
He said failure to reopen the campus 48 hours from now will force them to call other students to join them in a walk to parliament to petition the speaker, Rebecca Kadaga.
While also presenting a petition to the Minister of Education and Sports, Ssembogga also cited Article 30 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda that provides for the right to education which, according to him, has been deprived by the President’s directive to close the university.
He also raised issues like time loss which will directly affect students awaiting graduation in January, antagonisation of ongoing students’ projects that were in college laboratories, unplanned for expenditures and costs on behalf of students and the problems incurred on the students that were on exchange programs from Europe and the USA.
“International funding agencies like SIDA, JICA, Norwegian Corporation and many others are likely to rescind their decision to fund Makerere because of the never-ending closures and standoffs at the Alma Mata of Africa,” Ssembogga argued.
As of now, the students are in a state of quagmire as there is no clear communique regarding the university re-opening.
Ssembogga also said he has not been alerted about any developments ever since the university was closed and the only thing they have is the Minister’s re-assertion to ensure all business around the institution comes to a standstill.
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