There is heavy police presence at the main campus of Islamic University in Uganda-IUIU to a planned student’s protest.
Police deployed strategically in IUIU on Monday morning following threats by law students to demonstrate unless the management addresses the issue of missing course work marks, poor hygiene, lack of water in their halls of residence and the misconduct of their lecturers among others.
They accuse the management of failing to resolve the issue of missing marks so as to impose on them surcharges especially those in the final year. The complaints that started in the faculty of law have spilt over to the rest of the faculties.
One of the students told URN on conditions of anonymity that the management has repeatedly taken their complaints lightly, which has left them without any other option to demonstrate.
“Students have had issues from the previous academic year especially pertaining to missing marks, we have complained but nothing has been done to have these issues addressed,” he said.
Musa Kasjja, a law student said that the problems begin with Hamida Nagadya, the examinations coordinator whom they wanted to be transferred but the rector has refused to do so. “They are spoiling the name of the university because of only one person,” he said.
The students are also demanding an extension of the examinations period that is scheduled to start on February 21st 2022 for at least two more weeks claiming that they have never seen lecturers of some papers in the lecture rooms since the semester reopened.
In November last year, the students threatened to protest over the same issues but Police foiled the protest. The university top management administration led by the Vice-Rector in charge of Academic Affairs Dr Jamilu Sserwanga convened a meeting with the students where they promised to work on their grievances.
However, some of the students say the university is yet to fulfil its promise. Afthar Kakande, the IUIU Guild President, says that they held several meetings with the students in different faculties and they tasked the university to handle the grievances, which is taking longer than expected.
Kakande says that there is a communication gap between the University and the students and the administration, which hasn’t communicated on whether or not they have resolved their concerns.
Rehema Kantono, the IUIU Public Relations Officer, says that the administration has cleared all the old cases of missing coursework marks pending a few, which are also being handled.
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