Makerere University vice chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, has expressed disappointment that a top global institute of education and research like Makerere can be surrounded by poverty in and out.
Speaking at the National Oil and Gas Symposium of 2020 that is taking place at the university right now, the vice chancellor said he is utterly disturbed that the government and stakeholders can let an institution of Makerere’s calibre flourish in poverty like that.
“Why do we want to do research? I think we can summarise the issues by saying that we are a top global university, but surrounded by poverty. In factual sense and physically.” Nawangwe said at the Symposium.
He tasked the stakeholders to critically look at all the neighbourhoods of Makerere University and check if their findings don’t report the best description of urban poverty in Uganda.
“Katanga, Kivulu, Bwaise, Kikoni are very good examples of urban poverty. And it is disturbing that a top global university is surrounded by poverty.” Nawangwe further said.
He thanked the government for recently increasing the Makerere lecturers’ salaries jokingly adding that it is unique that an institution that hosts some of the highest paid people in the country is surrounded by poverty.
