Makerere student leaders not happy with slow pace of meetings

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Student leaders at Makerere University are pessimistic about the on-going council meeting to resolve the impasse at the university. The Guild President Julius Kateregga has as a result called for a general assembly at 9am Wednesday.

The leaders led by the Guild and Vice President Julius Kateregga and Judith Nalukwago respectively were in a closed-door meeting with the Makerere University Council all day Tuesday from 9:00 am at the Senate Building.

Ronald Kamusiime, the minister for students with disabilities who was part of the meeting said after their submission to council, they were asked to leave to give council time to deliberate and decide on the students’ demands.

Another student leader who preferred anonymity says that some members in the meeting were bent on not accepting anything that the students were demanding.

Marion Kirabo, the guild minister for Gender, Ethics and Integrity who was also part of the students’ team that presented in council said they are pessimistic about the outcomes of the meeting.

“We did our best to table all the students’ issues. We hope our council representatives the guild president and vice will manage to bring us news that will be in favour of students’ welfare,” Kirabo said.

On Tuesday, President Museveni had a telephone conversation with Kateregga, the Makerere Guild President at about 7:00 am to get a detailed account of what the genesis of the current impasse at Makerere.

The phone conversation reportedly centred around the 15%tuition and functional fees increments and how it was rushed without proper consultation from students.

“I held a phone conversation with President Museveni to brief him on the status quo at the Hill and on the demands of the governed. He had been fed on falsehoods by some elements of University Management. He instructed that University Council engages the Student Leadership, which they have heeded to. Our demands are clear and we shall pronounce to the Students Body the outcome and way forward from the Engagement,” Kateregga said.

Meanwhile, security remains tight at on key facilities which include the Main Building, Senate Building and the Main Library.

Journalists were denied access to the university by counter-terrorism police officers deployed.

The meeting was still underway under tight security lat Tuesday.