Veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda has come out to speak out his mind following the unending strikes that have been happening at Makerere University. According to Mwenda, Makerere students feel entitled that they occupy a special place in Uganda.
“There is a suffocating sense of entitlement among students at Makerere University that they occupy a special place in our country and should be treated as princes. The current strike over the 15% increase in fees is just one of many examples.” Mwenda wrote on his Facebook page.
Being known for his deep analysis into matters, Mwenda further explained that the students who are striking at Makerere are the ones on government sponsorship, and therefore they pay no tuition. According to him, the students who pay a lot of money in private universities do not even hold strikes.
“First there are more students enrolled in private universities than Makerere. Second, private students in public universities pay less than their counter parts in private ones. Yet while students who pay nothing or little at Makerere are always going to strike, students who pay a lot of money in private universities do not strike. Given that Makerere is the 4th best university in Africa, it means students in private universities pay more for less quality of education.” Mwenda explained.
Mwenda further explains that the Makerere striking culture is spearheaded by politicians, journalists, academics, among other stake holders for their own gains.
“What we are seeing at Makerere is decades of indoctrination in the welfare state ideology of entitlement, victim hood and grievance. It is an ideology that is promoted by opposition politicians, journalists, academics and pundits and is pandered to by President Yoweri Museveni to win votes. It is an ideology that will destroy this country.” Mwenda’s post reads further.
