Today morning, Mitchell Hall residents led by their Hall chairperson, Aggrey Kizito and Aziz Twooro, the GRC have declared a public Month at Mitchel Hall due to lack of functional toilets. “Unless a contract is signed to construct separate toilets for social science students, no lectures will be held at Mitchel Hall” shouted students at the entrance of the locked lecture hall.
Mitchel hall toilets, bathrooms and sinks are in the worst state of condition with bathrooms flooded, sinks broken beyond repair, old blocked toilets. Most Michelites in Blocks C, D and E haven’t showered in days and can’t access toilet facilities due to their poor condition. These three blocks sit next to the MESS/Main hall which was turned into a lecturer room for social science students last semester. This, however, exacerbates the situation as female students from social sciences are not specifically catered for with garbage bins in the male hall toilets.
They are left with no options but to flash their used sanitary pads that block the toilets and sometimes use the bathrooms for special needs Mitchelites as urinals trying to avoid contracting infections from toilets.
Last semester, a sum of over shs243m was disbursed to construct over 5 toilets for social science students and get their lecture hall tilled. This, however, lies amongst the neglected projects if the University after the contractor cleared off the former floor in the hall and left it dusty without tiles. The work on the toilets was also halted. The hall leaders have written to the administration, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration. However, their pleas have fallen to deaf ears. Only blocks A,F and B were partially renovated.
For now, no social science student will access the hall until the sanitation issues are worked upon.
“I can’t believe we students reason more than the administration, how can they construct a lecture hall without toilets. Where do they expect students to ease themselves from?” wondered Aggrey Kizito, the Hall chairman. They thus requested the admin to either hand over the MESS/Hall back to them or renovate it together with toilets for social science students.
As a 4th year medical student, chairman Mitchel hall and Head council of all hall chairpersons, Aggrey Kizito reminded the following ministries to swing into action;
TO THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Please come and close MAK because the sanitation is so poor in all halls. The bathrooms are flooded, the toilets are blocked and in a bad state not fit for use.
TO THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SPORTS
Please look into the conditions in which students are living. Such environments are not conducive educationally. The Mitchel hall MESS room is all dusty and is still being used as a lecture hall without toilets.
TO THE MINISTRY OF GENDER
If the female students who attend lectures from Mitchell hall keep using such toilet facilities, they’ll get infections that will affect their reproductive system in future. Intervene and secure their health or else their fertility is at risk.
Unless this state of conditions is fixed, Mitchel risks an epidermic outbreak of cholera and the country will lose out a great deal of Doctors, lawyers, Engineers and Politicians.
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