While appearing before the education committee in parliament, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, University secretary Charles Barugahare and the University bursar Augustine Tamale showed up to defend their sh190b budget allocation for the financial year 2018/2019.
In this meeting, MPs on the education committee grilled Prof Nawangwe about the University’s decision to scrap off meals by giving students a fee of shs4,000 as compensation, “Halt the implementation of the proposal to stop meals in halls of residence effective June this year because shs4,000 cannot cater for each student’s breakfast, lunch and supper,” Kashari South County MP Nathan Itungo assured Prof Nawangwe on Tuesday 3rd April.
Itungo added that the least amount a student can pay at the university’s food joints is shs5,000 for a single meal while outside the University, prices range between shs3,000 to shs10,000 for a single meal. Itungo explained to Nawangwe that students could even be killed by thugs on their way while looking for food, “You have not calculated the transport costs for students going out to look for food and also female students who might be exposed to rapists as they search for meals,” Itungo said.
The committee’s chairperson and also Mbale Woman MP Connie Galiwango said that the committee is opposed to the University’s proposal of scrapping off meals in halls of residence and committee is set to forward this for debate in the house, “The government should provide more funding for feeding the students,” Galiwango suggested.
“In you capacity as the Vice Chancellor put yourself in the shoes of students. Can shs4,000 cater for meals? Unless you are forcing the students to go either begging or stealing food,” The committee vice chairperson and Pallisa County MP Jacob Opolot asked Nawangwe.
In his response, Prof Nawangwe revealed that the government has been providing only shs4,000 for each student per day as meal fee.
