Makerere University student leaders have asked Speaker Jacob Oboth-Oboth to intervene in welfare challenges they say are making it difficult for students to concentrate on their studies and achieve their full potential.
The student leaders, led by Makerere Guild Speaker Trevis Mutatiina Muhwezi, made the appeal when they met Oboth-Oboth at his office at Parliament.
He said student welfare was an important part of higher education because students who struggle to find food and accommodation can find it difficult to concentrate on their studies.
Mutatiina raised concern about the amount of money allocated to government-sponsored students for food, saying the students’ leadership considers the current support inadequate.
According to Mutatiina, students receive about Shs45,000 under the food support arrangement, an amount he said is too little to meet their needs.
He said some students are forced to struggle without adequate meals, which affects their ability to attend lectures and participate fully in university activities.
The guild speaker also raised concern about accommodation, particularly for female students.
He said the increasing number of students enrolling at Makerere University has not been matched by a corresponding increase in university accommodation. [WATCH VIDEO]
The student leaders therefore asked the government to construct another female hall of residence at Makerere.
They proposed that the new hall be named after First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataaha Museveni in recognition of what they described as her contribution to the education sector.
The student leaders, however, told the speaker that more accommodation is needed as the university continues to admit large numbers of students.
They argued that expanding accommodation would help address some of the welfare challenges faced by students, particularly female students who may have to look for accommodation outside the university.
In response, Oboth-Oboth promised to follow up the concerns with the relevant parliamentary committee responsible for education.
He said Parliament would need to establish the extent of the challenges raised by the students and examine possible policy responses.
He also said the government should consider policy reforms aimed at increasing university accommodation.
Oboth-Oboth linked the need for more accommodation to the increase in the number of female students entering higher education.
He noted that the affirmative action policy introduced by the government had helped increase the number of girls joining university, creating a need for infrastructure and accommodation to keep pace with the growing student population.
