The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Northern Uganda is the least beneficiary of different government University sponsorship programs, a report by the Equal Opportunities Commission-EOC has revealed. It came during a meeting between the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and the EOC led its chairperson, Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi.
In its 2018/2019 financial report, the Commission notes that studies from 2014 to 2018, shows that northern Uganda trails other regions in the number of beneficiaries of student loan scheme, the disability scheme and the University Sports scheme.
According to Ntambi, central Uganda topped the number of beneficiaries under the disability scheme with 39% followed by Western and Eastern region with 29% and 21% respectively while Northern Uganda had a paltry 11% out of 308 students.
Central region again topped the number of beneficiaries under the University Sports scheme with 43% followed by western and Eastern with 33% and 27% respectively while Northern Uganda got only 6%.
The statistics are no different under the student’s loan scheme where Western region had the highest number of beneficiaries followed by Eastern and Central region respectively.
At sub regional level under the student loan scheme, Karamoja sub region hardly got any beneficiary with a percentage share of 1%.
In her recommendations, Ntambi says there is need for affirmative action in all the three programs audited to address the low levels of beneficiaries especially in Karamoja.
Kadaga promised to raise the matter before the house and ensure Karamoja and areas that are not benefiting are prioritized.
The report also notes that more males were benefiting from the University sponsorship compared to women.
In the disability scheme males benefited up to 58.3% compared to females at 41.7% For Sports, males dominated the scholarship with 56. % while women had 43.5%.
Under the loan scheme, 5900 male students have benefited as opposed to 2200 females.
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