KAMPALA – Police on Wednesday used teargas and live ammunition to disperse Makerere University students who had gathered at the Freedom Square to discuss the council’s decision on the 15% tuition fees increment policy.
The students had gathered to decide the next course of action after the University Council, among others, said the 15% tuition fees increment policy would be waived on the functional fees and remain on tuition.
However, police could not allow them and fired teargas, sending them scampering for their lives. Those who had gone to the library and lecture rooms also fled.
Makerere guild president, Mr Julius Kateregga who had called for the assembly was also arrested and driven to unknown destination, his deputy, Ms Judith Nalukwago, has said.
Since October 22, students have been protesting the policy on grounds that it was unfair and making education services expensive at Uganda’s oldest public university.
In an emergency meeting with student leaders on Tuesday, the university council agreed to scrap the 15 percent increment from functional fees but maintained that the 15 percent fees adjustment shall continue to be applied on tuition fees for the remaining period of three years.
“The 15 percent adjustment in fees shall not apply to functional fees for the remaining period of implementation of fees structure adopted in July 2018. Functional fees shall be capped at the rate applied on the admission cohort for 2019/2020 academic year for the next three years,” reads part of the statement signed by the council chairperson Ms Lorna Magara and the council secretary Mr Yufuf Kiranda.
