Mbarara University Students Strike over new Retake policy

By Serestino Tusingwire

Students at Mbarara University of Science and Technology on Monday went on strike challenging a new policy introduced by the administration targeting anybody who fails examinations.

According to the new retake policy, every student who fails a paper must pay 50,000 shillings for each paper retaken and once a student fails two papers, he/she automatically gets a dead year.

Initially the policy put shillings 200,000 for each paper retaken and a dead year would be given to a student who would fail three papers in one semester. This was however redesigned after a students’ protest on the 23rd of August and the amount was reduced to 50,000 Shillings.

Students are now claiming that they were not part of the deciding process and their views were not incorporated in the new policy.

A scuffle ensued between police and students as they demanded for audience with the University Vice Chancellor, Professor Therestine Obua.

They also carried placards, some of which read: “We cannot pay 50,000 shillings for retakes”, “We are no longer fools”, “Enough is enough “and “University failed to listen” among others.

They were also chanting songs that are anti-University administration branding it as incompetent.

The students accused the administration of failing to ensure that there is steady supply of electricity and water at the University premises.

Police also pitched camp at the University to avert any possible chaos.

The Mbarara district police commander Jaffar Magyezi, said that the police is to ensure that the situation does not get out of hand.