Private Universities Defy Gov’t Directive, Already Open

Students in private universities based in Kampala are having face to face lectures before the official dates set for reopening by Ministry of Education.

The Ministry of Education and Sports directed on February 9th, 2020 that Universities and other tertiary institutions would start face to face sessions on March 1.  The national council for high education had earlier on advised that continuing students and first years should keep studying online until government reopens.

A mini survey by URN revealed that students who are not finalists in private Universities and Tertiary institutions are already attending lectures physically on campus.

Our reporter freely entered Kampala International University and asked the receptionist under what arrangements first years are being taught and she called a student who was passing by to direct the reporter to the lecture where business students were studying from.

Over thirty students were congested in one lecture room next to each other on elongated desks with masks on their chins. The lecturer walked in with no mask and taught for one and half hour and exited. Not all students had face masks but even the few who had them were hanging them on their chins instead of covering their mouths and noses.

Tracy Muhirwe, a first year student pursuing a degree in Information Technology, said she was called by her friend to come and start attending lectures in the ending week of January. She hadn’t known that campus had resumed.

Perinah Nampiima, another Business student at Ndejje University Kampala campus, confirmed that she had just come out of a lecture adding that she had missed three lectures so far since classes begun last week on Monday. 

Also at Muteesa 1 Royal University based in Mengo, Nellia Maria Musoke, a continuing Mass Communication student in year one semester two, said lectures are ongoing and students are continuously reporting. “We are attending classes at campus,” said Musoke.

The situation wasn’t any different at Multitech Business School, a tertiary institution where first year students were seated on classrooms and computer labs waiting for their lecturers.

Professor Vicent Kakembo, the Vice Chancellor of Muteesa One Royal University, declined to comment on the matter when approached by URN. However, Mary Nakandi, the Academic Registrar of the University, says students who are having face to face lectures are those having practical sessions.

Saul Waigolo, the Spokesperson for National Council for Higher Education- NCHE, sounded surprised after knowing that students are having face to face lectures and yet NCHE had advised universities to conduct lectures online. He said they are to investigate the matter.

However for public universities like Kyambogo and Makerere, students are having lectures online lectures as they await reopening on March 1, 2020.

-URN