Senior Reporter
Students at Kabale University have chosen to boycott both online and physical lectures in protest of the sudden increase in surcharges from 30,000 to 80,000 Ugandan shillings, demanding clarification from university authorities. Kabale University gained public university status in 2015, and this led to the Uganda police intervening to prevent the planned demonstration.
The students were scattered around the university campus, wearing their gowns to visibly express their discontent. They are striking to voice their opposition to the recent surcharge increment imposed by the university administration, claiming it lacks justification and has been a persistent issue.
These students argue that despite the university’s status as a public institution with relatively high fees, they receive subpar quality services. They are frustrated and call on the university administration to actively work on resolving the surcharge issue to ease their financial burden.
Tukamushaba Amos, the Dean of Students at Kabale University, acknowledges the validity of the students’ concerns and assures them that these issues can be addressed. He suggests that sometimes faults in the system contribute to such problems and pledges his availability for students to reach out to him if they face any issues.
Tukamushaba also proposes a potential solution by suggesting that if surcharges were exceptionally high in the previous semester, there could be a reduction in the upcoming semester.
