Kyambogo University students have today protested demanding changes in the way the university adminsitration handles their affairs.
Students from the Faculty of Arts, cited poor sanitary conditions, lack of water and late release of examination results as some of their reasons for the protest.
They wanted the university administration to release their examination results by 4:00 pm today and rectify the poor sanitary conditions in their classrooms and toilets.
Tracy Nakabuye, a social sciences student, said they need new furniture, books in the library and computers and a better medical health centre.
The demonstration reportedly started after many students turned up for lectures only to find the lecture rooms filled up yet many could also not find seats.
They demanded that the Vice Chancellor, Professor Omolo Ndiege and his administration as well as the Guild President Frederick Etyang Frederick vacate their offices.
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The students, in their hundreds, matched around the Arts Faculty compound carrying placards. Some of them read: Why do I pay development fee without furniture and Iif you are to do something, don’t do nothing, we want change.
Lawrence Madete, the university publicist, described the demonstration as a mere excitement by the students. He, however, confirmed that the university is in a poor hygienic condition, lacks computers and furniture and that there has been a delay in releasing students' results.
Madete said the University has contracted a private service provider to clean the institution but the contract takes effect on the 1st of April. He said in the meantime a janiter had been hired to clean up the faculty.
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On the late release of the results, Madete explained that though the university introduced the central marking system which ensures prompt marking of examinations, their release is delayed by a series of academic meeting that discuss the results.
He promised that the first batch of results will be released this Friday.
On procurement of furniture, library books and computers, Madete said they have to follow the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets regulations to get them.
He revealed that they were actually expecting some furniture today through a process that started last year in October.
Madete blamed the inadequate seats on a sharp incease in the number of students in the university.
Kyambogo University has 24,000 full-time students and 60,000 long-distance students countrywide.
Madete said they are fast tracking the procurement process within the law so as to acquire the necessary facilities.
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By the time of filing this report the university management was still locked up in a crisis meeting with the student leadership to forge a way forward.
