The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kabale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Students of Kabale Technical Institute (KTI) took to the streets on Monday to protest alleged maladministration at the institute. They accused the administration of increasing tuition without notice, multiple registrations with pay, and announcing the end of the academic term before the official date set by the Ministry of Education of Sports.
The students declined to attend classes as well as eat meals at the institute on Monday, which prompted the administration to alert Kabale police station to deploy at the campus in Rutooma village, Northern division. At around 5:00pm, students led a procession from the institution through Kabale town and pitched camp at the office of the District Education Officer seeking his intervention.
Edgar Byamukama, one of the concerned students said that they are tired of the administration led by their Principal Francis Tibemanya. According to Byamukama, this academic term was slated to end on August 12 in accordance with the timetable issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
He however says that they were surprised when Tibemanya issued a statement indicating that the term will close on July 22, 2022. He says that Tibemanya did not give reasons why the administration has decided to end the academic term on Friday this week, adding that this is not the first time the administration is trying to end the academic term prematurely without any reason.
Dan Ahumuza, another concerned student said that they are not happy with the administration’s decision to increase Information Technology (IT) fees from shilling 20,000 to100,000. He is also opposed to the decision of the administration to compel students with retakes to pay Shillings 530,000 for the whole term instead of Shillings 8,000 per paper as it used to be in the past.
He also punched holes in a new policy where students are compelled to register every year as opposed to the earlier practice where they would do it once. He said that what angers them as students is that they are required to pay Shillings 145,000 per registration.
Precious Kyomugisha, another concerned student pursuing a national certificate in plumbing, said that despite being required to pay Shillings 150,000 for tools, the administration has decided not to give them to students while going for industrial training. Kyomugisha said that they are now stuck on what to use while going for industrial training.
Moses Bwengye Tumwijukye, the Kabale District Education Officer advised the students to contact Kabale municipal education officials since the institution is outside his jurisdiction.
Francis Tibemanya, the principal of Kabale Technical Institute dismissed the accusations leveled against him by the students as baseless. He also faulted the students for storming the district education office yet he discussed the matter with Kabale District Police Commander Abel Ruganza.
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The students of Kabale Technical institute are champions bse they matched and presented their greviances directly to the DEO. The DEO instead of referring these students would make a phone call to his colleague and they sort out the issues of course repremanding the principal for the allegations so that these students don’t go on rampage. The head principal also shouldn’t have uttered that statement regarding it as baseless, what if investigations found out that those things happened then he should also be penalised. Most strikes have root causes though others are not genuine but to an adolescent all those requires thorough explanations which administrators undermine for no good reason and hence strikes. These students are looking for an administrator who cares and loves them by failing to inform them why school close early even a fool can question and more so it’s not the first time. Institutions are on strikes bse we LOVE money more than our learners and we think they don’t reason that’s how they reason.
I’m the ob of this institute whenever I hear students demonstrating I come quickly to witness it because even 2007 when I was still a student this was also happening