Makerere stays suspension of 15% tuition increment policy

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Management of Makerere University has extended the suspension of the 15 percent annual tuition increment policy for another period of two years.

The policy, which started in the 2019/2020 academic year, was later halted in 2021 in light of the outbreak of Covid-19.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Professor Umar Kakumba, announced on Wednesday that the Makerere University Council has decided to maintain the suspension of the tuition increment policy until the academic year 2024/25.

“The conditions under which the fees increment policy was suspended are still prevalent, so the university management has agreed to stay the implementation and then inform the council, which will decide,” Prof Kakumba said while addressing media at the University senate building.

The 15 per cent policy provides that the university will increase tuition by 15 per cent every academic year for the next five years.

The policy, which took effect with the students enrolled for the 2019/2020 academic year, led to protests from the students and the general public, who said it will deny children from poor families the chance to study at the university.

The Makerere University Council later bowed to pressure and agreed to scrap the 15 per cent increment from functional fees for the next three years.

However, despite the suspension of the 15 per cent increment on tuition fees, students from the university want it scrapped completely. In 2021, the then Guild President Ivan Ssempijja asked the university management to halt the increment policy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic constraints.

The student leaders also demand that a waiver on functional fees be put in place arguing that online studies during the covid era did not give students a chance to fully utilize items paid for like sports, halls of residence, and library among others.