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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kyambogo University has decided to host students from private hostels because of the refusal by their proprietors to reduce accommodation fees. It came after some hostel owners decided to hike the accommodation fees following the return of final year students contrary to their agreement with the University management.
The university had negotiated with the hostels to charge the finalists affordable fees for hostel utilities like electricity and water. Mildred Tibananuka, the Dean of students Kyambogo University, however, the hostel owners decided to act otherwise prompting them to host some students especially those who cannot withstand the conditions in private hostels.
According to Tibananuka, she was approached by some students requesting accommodation in university halls of residence citing various reasons.
Kyambogo University has five halls of residents including Kulubya, Mandela, North, Pearl and Nanziri halls. Tibananuka reveals that after receiving final year students, they realized that they still have space, which they can use to accommodate students from private hostels.
She, however, didn’t reveal the exact number of students from private hostels admitted into university halls. At least 400 final year students are residents in the university halls. The approved accommodation fee for private students in university halls of residence is Shillings 300,000 per semester.
However, students shall be charged Shillings 120,000 for a period of 44 days, during which they are going to be completing their second semester 2019/2020. To students who have been overwhelmed by the hike of fees in private hostel, the intervention by the university management is a huge blessing.
Samuel Ecuru, a finalist of food processing and technology, says when he reported, the landlady tasked him to pay Shillings 300,000 for accommodation and other charges mounting to Shillings 150,000 for other services. This prompted him to leave for a rental where he paid Shillings 170,000 for 44 days.
He says that now that there is this chance, he will also shift to the University halls of residence for safety and security.
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