Africa-Press – Uganda. The newly-elected Makerere University students’ guild leadership has listed six issues that it wants the institution’s management to address urgently.
One of the issues is the renovation of Lumumba Hall which was closed on September 12.
During a press conference at the university yesterday, the new guild president, Mr Lawrence Alionzi, cautioned the university against delays to renovate the hall.
“It’s now three months since the closure and no single construction material has been spotted at the site. The students were told to vacate but some of the university staff are staying there, was it really closed for renovation or to suppress students’ force,” he said.
“We want the university to give us a road map on when this hall will be renovated,” he added.
The new guild leadership was instituted about two weeks ago and its term is expected to end in February next year.
Mr Alionzi also expressed concern about the university’s decision to suspend all social events at the institution such as porridge nights, fresher’s ball, among others. This, he said, infringes on students’ rights to associate.
“The suspension of social events at the university, left students no ground to associate and in this era of civilisation, social capital stands out to equally hold the network which management in its sense thought was no longer necessary and, therefore, we need the management, with immediate effect to allow them back,” he added.
Last week the university released the first draft of the list of students who are awaiting graduation in February next year. However, Mr Alioza said, according to an online survey conducted by the guild academic minister, 60 percent of the graduands have not seen the list. He said many of those who saw it complained that their names were excluded.
He also decried insecurity at the university, which he said has become rampant more, especially at Mary Stuart Hall.
“This management has done a very handsome job to protect itself from the students but has done nothing to protect students. To this day almost every 12 hours, a girl in Mary Staurt is robbed of her property,” he said.
Mr Alionzi also expressed displeasure over the online elections, saying he requested the university to come out with a valid explanation on why it should maintain the online elections.
He also requested the university council to revise the new students’ guild statute which bans all the first-year students from participating students’ leadership at the institution.
When contacted, the university spokesperson, Ms Ritah Namisango, urged students’ leaders to always first work with the university management before taking their issues to the media.
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