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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Government sponsored students at Makerere university will have to wait a little longer as management finds money for food and their living out allowances for semester two, the Acting Bursar, Lubowa Ssebina Gyaviira has revealed.
Students reported for the new semester on January 18, 2020. Gyaviira notes in his statement issued on January 22, 2020 that there will be a “slight delay” in the release of funds. “The delay has been occasioned by the need to effect adjustment to the budget to provide for some activities related to teaching, internship and student allowances,” Gyaviira said.
The bursar, who regretted the inconveniences, says the process to effect the adjustments is likely to take time as it requires the relevant organs of the University and the Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry. He says the process is expected to take at least two weeks and hopes to effect the payments to the affected students starting February.
Makerere University requires Shillings 4.137 billion to pay more than 6, 000 nonresident government sponsored students their living out and food allowances. This is not the first time; Makerere is announcing delays in payment of student’s allowances. In July last year, the institution diverted an initial student allowance allocation amounting to Shillings 3.35 billion to cover other priority areas.
The 2019/2020 financial year budget allocation had to be readjusted in favor of a plan to procure equipment for the Dental school, which was facing pressure not to admit students under the prevalent conditions. Makerere has 10,091 government-sponsored students. Of these, 4,089 students, who reside outside the university premises, receive a Living out allowance at a rate of 432,750 per student per semester.
The university spends approximately Shillings 7.19 billion on student food and about Shillings 4.76 billion on living out allowances making a total of Shillings 11.96 billion on welfare for government students.
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