While students use violent strikes to be heard, Public Universities’ non-teaching staff strategically stages their non-violent strikes at the beginning of a semester. It goes without say that this is when they have great impact; students need paperwork to start school and the respective offices have to be opened. So far, this tactic is as effective as if it were violent, however the big question is how do these strikes affect students? Campus Bee was at Makerere University and brings you some of the dis-service the strikes do to students.
Derick Sebamala, a 2nd year from College of Engineering told Campus bee that the strike this time has not yet affected him save for the dirty toilets with unattractive heaps. He also added that these strikes are very inconveniencing during the semester.
“During the semester, the libraries are closed, offices and classrooms so even if you made arrangements for a discussion, it’s hard to pull it off. You either have to quit or find someone’s room. “
Monica Tumanye, a third year Journalism students at the University has also said the strike has added to her misfortune since she has not yet been interviewed for internship.
“I have been to offices today to talk to the internship coordinator about giving me a supervisor but the offices are closed and her phone is off. Internship should have been done last week. It sucks, I am annoyed and exasperated. We went to the field as the University wanted, now why would they not supervise us?” Tumanye commented.
Brian Ahebwa, a fresher at the University has a different story to tell. He has been coming to the University to be given a provision admission letter for the past two days but it’s all been in vain until. “It is today that I have been helped,” Ahebwa revealed.
According to the chairman of con-vocation Makerere University, Tanga Odoi, First years’ admissions for all public Universities are being handled even with the strike.
“Only Makerere wasn’t issuing admission letters, however, we have 30 volunteers from convocation giving Makerere students admission letters at JICA building, Makerere from 8:00am to 5:00pm everyday.
Today is the third day of the strike. The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, John Ssentamu Ddumba informed the bee earlier in a phone interview that the government is handling the payments to make sure activities will resume to normal as soon as possible.
