After the recent break down of the university canteens in Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), the guild president has come out to address the students fraternity on this same issue.
Umar Muhumuza said that at the time when he took over office as the Guild President, he found that there were issues surrounding the canteen management and top management that had not been resolved over the years. These were issues pertaining tenancy of the canteens and also claims regards the sanitation of the area where the canteens are.
He went on to say that a number of letters had been circulated from top management to the canteen owners requiring them to vacate the premises and canteen owners through their lawyers filed an intention to sue and also secured letters from State House which barred the demolition then.
In a University Council meeting late last year, the canteen owners were given a grace period of up to 31st of December 2019 to vacate the premises and in the same meeting, he’s said to have raised his concerns of how the very large numbers of students would be accommodated in case there would be no alternative for sufficient food provision.
“I also raised issues regarding the cost of food and quality in case we did not have these canteen owners because I was aware that a number of students find this food cost effective and affordable given the humble back grounds they come from and the high costs of survival,” Muhumuza told Campus Bee.
“I was answered by the University Engineer that they had procured a new service provider who would share the kitchen with Sippers Restaurant and that they were going to develop the place to serve the population. In his words, he says there were only four canteens that were providing food and hence this new service provider would serve the students body.” He added.
Muhumuza further said that one of the reasons fronted for their demolition is that these areas were in a dilapidated state and that the hygiene was not very good. As the Guild president he also still doesn’t know whether students will have where to get their meals and equally doesn’t know if the new service provider will provide affordable meals sufficient to serve the over 4000 students and staff but he’s hopeful that by the start of the semester, the university management will have found a way forward or else, there will arise unprecedented conflict especially when students do not get quality and affordable food yet the structures where they have always got food are no more.
