So I Say

Mak Dev't and Technology Fee are Absurd

2008-09-29T04:06:00.000-07:00

Just when you think the dust is about to settle at Makerere University, the administration comes up with the not so surprising, but sad news that all new private students should pay a mandatory Shs. 50,000 (US$30) for technology fees and Shs. 123,500 (US$74) for development fees.

The university argues that the development fees will provide funds to finance the expansion of the library while the technology fees will be used to increase the university’s Internet bandwidth. Whereas these developments are imperative or vital, one has to wonder if it is fair that the students should be the ones to shoulder the entire burden of footing these huge expenses.

The Makerere student community has always witnessed the implementation of draconian policies in their final stages, with the first reports being picked from the press. Such policies include the almost implemented tuition increment by Shs 400,000 per course per academic year. Now, it is the technology and development fees.

There surely needs a parliamentary review on the "extra fees” required by Makerere administration.

Lots of students and their parents toil as hard as possible to realise their dreams. Most parents sacrifice all their earnings and even sell their possessions to see their children to university. Only to find that some people are stretching their wallets so far to unjustifiable amounts.

Public universities, including Makerere are given money by government for development so the development fee being levied on the students is uncalled for. For instance, the government, for the 2008/2009 financial year, appropriated Shs. 37bn (US$ 22,262,334) for development. Further still, the university generates over Shs. 52bn (US$ 31,287,605) annually from tuition fees, functional fees, overhead charges, revenue from commercial services, among others. Where does all this money go? Isn’t someone being fooled here?

It would be foolhardy to believe that Makerere cannot find other ways to raise such funds rather than stretching too far the already stretched out pockets of parents and students.

In the education sector, it is only the rich people who benefit from the government sponsorships, leaving the poor and needy families with the burden of paying fees. Therefore, Makerere levying such exorbitant fees is pushing the much-needed higher education far from the majority of poor Ugandans who can’t afford.

I think at such moments, there is need for the government to intervene to meet its moral obligation to provide every student a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. I believe that every student needs a decent shot at university education, rather than being restricted to a few rich people who can afford.

Much as the Students’ Guild is supposed to advocate for the needs of students, the current structure of the students’ leadership that was formed in the 1950s is far from doing that.

A look at this shows that many students are not consulted on issues that affect them. For instance, this structure, which was formed when every student was resident-provides for the Guild Representative Council (GRC) that sits with the Guild President. The majority of these members stay in Halls of Residence. This implies that today, 85.7% of students, who are non-resident, are not consulted in the making policies that govern them and therefore do not participate in their own administration.

Makerere Bans Miniskirts, Tights! A Joke

2008-07-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

Makerere University has taken the controversial step to regulate the dress code during lectures for both staff and students. (Makerere bans miniskirts, tights”, Daily Monitor, June 9).

It appears that the supporters of the sexual harassment policy believe that prescribing certain types of dressing would reduce the incidents of sexual harassment.

There is a problem, though, with the logic advanced in banning the miniskirt and tights, linking indecent dressing to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment occurs even in places where a conservative dress code is observed. Men at the workplace have often complained of sexual harassment from their “business suit clad” female bosses, and vice versa. To link sexual harassment to dress is fairly simplistic.

Under this new arrangement, which is likely to begin in August when the students report back from holidays, female students, would be required to adhere to a dress code that tallies with events for which they will be in attendance.

An offender could receive written warnings, be asked to apologise before the relevant committee or, in exceptional circumstances, even be suspended from the university.

Mr Robert Rutaro, the president of the Students' Guild, welcomed the policy, saying, "students should dress decently."

Mr John Ekudu Adoku, the dean of students, said the policy was intended to inspire behavioural change, especially on the part of female students.

"We think that rules don't change people but once you talk to them they can change,”Ekudu said.

Sexual harassment is beyond “dress code” like senior administrators at Makerere University suggest.

Sexual harassment is basically about the use of power. It depends on who has more power. A student can harass a lecturer, but what is more fundamental is how the lecturer responds.

It is about the unfair use of influence, power, or authority by one person over another or a lack of respect for another person.

So the reasoning fronted by top administrators that indecent dressing constitutes a form of sexual harassment is simply naïve and old fashioned.

Similarly who and how will indecent dressing be determined under this new arrangement? Perhaps the frontiers of the policy owe the students and the public an explanation of what constitutes indecent dressing.

In so doing, Makerere is being typically Ugandan and quite African. In times of crisis, when there is need for self-criticism and assessment, good and realistic thinking that bitterly faces the problem fairly and honestly, takes a back seat.

That Makerere has chosen to put its money on this tired old horse is not surprising but worrying. The university does not seem to be ready to take the responsibility and is bent on sweating the small stuff.

Makerere should instead invest in more facilities to curb the problems of overcrowding, which has resulted in excessive teaching loads, large classes and falling standards. It should also be bent on solving the rampant strikes the university is currently facing rather than concentrate on small matters on the way female students dress.

At the end of the day its mess will aggravate while they run around seemingly busy measuring the length of women's skirts. Like most solutions to Makerere’s policies, there will be a lot of motion but no progress. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "speed is irrelevant if you are going in the wrong direction."

Makerere should also invest more in educating their students about their environment and to protect them from its dangers than issue bans.

If all this is in place, the length of women's skirts will cease to bother Makerere. That is the challenge. The problem is deeper than that.

No regulation can change that. Like most Ugandan institutions, Makerere is addressing symptoms, not the disease.

Budo Tragedy, sheer negligence

2008-04-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 14, 2008 will be stamped in our memories for a long time to come. It will be known as the tragic ‘Dark Monday’, when a cloud of doom and despair hang over Budo Junior School, taking with it the lives of some 20 young girl pupils.

The mysterious inferno at Budo Junior Primary School shows a lack of clear guidelines within the Ministry of Education. The school inspection policy has died out over the years.

Problems within the school inspection system could have largely contributed to the death of these 20 young girls who still had a lot to offer this nation.

In July 2001, government created the Education Standards Agency (ESA) as it restructured the Central Inspectorate Division at the ministry headquarters. The core function of ESA is to set standards for quality of education and monitor the achievement of such standards through inspection of schools for continual improvement in teaching and learning processes.

However, that ESA, which operates, as a semi-independent body with headquarters at Kyambogo exists largely in name and is thin on the ground. For instance, there is no direct functional linkage between ESA and District School Inspectors.

Owing to this institutional fracturing, ESA operates without giving or getting direct feedbacks to and from District School Inspectors.

It has no working relations with local political leaders, which observers say is bad for coordination

Subsequently, a combination of thin personnel and logistical constraints, hinder the school inspection activities of the agency. And so partly because of this, the awful living conditions at Budo went unobserved.

Mr. Francis Lubanga, the Permanent Secretary in the Education ministry however said it is unfair to criticise or fault his officials at the centre over any failings in school inspection because the responsibility of managing primary schools has since been devolved to districts. All the centre does, he said, is develop guidelines and circulate to respective officials for implementation.

“As far as government is concerned, all primary schools are supposed to be day schools,” the PS said adding, “It is the districts that determine which primary school operates as boarding schools based on available facilities”.

So who takes responsibility for the Budo inferno? It seems that everyone is shying away from the blame.

Likewise Education minister, Ms Namirembe Bitamazire has blatantly turned down calls from the public that she takes political responsibility and resigns.

“I have done my best and will continue to work,” she said.

Police detectives suspect the gruesome incident to be the handiwork of heartless arsonists although the school’s ten guards and Ms Damalie Basirika, the mother matron of the ill-fated dormitory have been arrested for probable culpability or criminal negligence as the weeklong investigations progress.

It is still unclear if the local health officials had permitted the pupils to be accommodated in a converted classroom. Again no clear policy exists on how many students should be housed in what type of dormitory facility, often resulting in overcrowding.

There is certainly negligence on the part of the Ministry of Education and the school management for this tragic incidence at Budo Junior School.

Maj. Gen. Kayihura said detectives were combing for evidence. “There is certainly criminal negligence,” he said. “It is a question of how far this chain will go: is there anyone who locked the doors? Where was the matron and who was responsible for all this? If there were problems at the school, why were the issues not raised at the PTA [Parents Teachers Association] meeting? The investigators will look into all these.”

I thought it’s the work of the Ministry of Education to ensure that all Ugandans get the best quality education, in a quality environment. Now how comes the Ministry is denying it’s responsibilities in times of tragedy.

For all its rich history, Budo Junior School mirrors the state of our primary and secondary schools in Uganda; very wretched! Children living in the most neglected of conditions, crowded in small rooms and using quadruple and triple-decker beds due to space constraints.

It is very apparent that there is something amiss in the education sector, one whose standards continue to dip year in year out.

The emphasis in our schools today is not so much about the study environment, but how well one passes, a factor that has led parents to disregard the kind of environment their children are groomed.

Despite of what happened, I strongly believe the forensic experts from the police and other agencies should be given a chance to do a thorough and dispassionate investigation, unfettered by emotional supposition. The findings of the investigation should provide the authorities with a basis for a national reform of the entire education system in this country.

Unfortunately, accidents will happen and claim young lives. There has been a series of them in the last years. And there will be more as long as we pursue the policy of business-as-usual after every tragedy. It needn’t be this way.

How many lives must we lose for us to act? The Ministry of Education must make policies about school buildings and administration and strictly enforce them to make sure our children are safe wherever they are. Shs 500,000 or any other amount cannot make a difference to a parent who could send his or her child to Budo.

In the past, investigations have been launched on the occurrence of school fires. However, no reports have been made to our country and more importantly, no preventive measures have been taken to ensure that such tragedies do not occur.

Now is the time for the minister to wake up and treat this matter with the urgency it deserves. Let the Budo fire be the last! Otherwise, we shall continue to lose lives on things that could easily be addressed.

(Associated Press Picture)

Obama changes outlook of African Americans

2008-03-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

More than a political campaign, Barack Obama's presidential bid has become a popular phenomenon, a sometimes emotional outpouring the likes of America and the world has not seen in decades.

Change, Obama says, "doesn't happen from the top down, it happens from the bottom up".

And Obama's campaign is changing the face of US and world politics as the senator from Illinois moves closer to capturing the Democratic Party nomination.

Senator Obama’s presidential bid has become an international sensation and if the current momentum can come to pass, America is at the threshold of making history.

His string of recent victories over the formidable Senator Hilary Clinton from New York and former first lady has left the world wondering in disbelief.

The way he speaks with such passion, the way he speaks about hope and change is intriguing and leaves everyone yearning for more. Obama's life story fascinates the world and leaves the people still struggling, trying to get the American Dream.

At rallies like the one in Ohio and all across America, Obama has regularly drawn crowds numbering in the tens of thousands. Almost everyone particularly in Africa is following events in the US election with much interest due to his African heritage.

People are following US elections in local and international press.

Many of us have expressed feelings of personal connection to Obama because of his heritage much as our support won’t have an impact on the outcome of the American election. It's almost as if he's one of us, talking to us, that's the reason why people in Africa have shown so much interest in the election.

The wave of exuberance upon which Obama is riding is unbelievable and many people are asking-Is America the world’s most powerful and influential nation ready for a black president?A Black man atop the world’s powerhouse is what the world is now starting to see in Barack Obama.

If Obama wins the Democratic Party nomination this year, he will face Senator John McCain who has clinched the Republican Party nomination.So we must ask the all important question: Why and how is Obama doing so well?

Perhaps the youthful vigour he exudes and whole near hysteria that accompanies him wherever he goes could explain this.Obama has used all his power of rhetoric and persuasion to win over the American people more so the support of the youth and the middle-working class who see him as the ideal candidate to offer the fundamental change.

There is sense that Obama does project what Martin Luther King Jr. and many other black leaders before him, that he offers a dream for blacks- a dream of deliverance and change. And now is the time for change.

His slogans of “Yes we can” and “Change we can believe in” have become household names.Whatever the outcome of the American election, Obama has greatly changed the outlook of African Americans within such a small spell to the disbelief of a majority of people.

He has become, for many African Americans, the mirror in which they see themselves and their country as they want it to be- a powerful force in American politics, which is now on the move.

Sex for marks Criminal!

2007-11-28T04:30:00.000-08:00

Examinations are on at Uganda’s most prestigious University, however year
after year, there are reports of sexual harassment of female students by
lecturers at Makerere.

Vice Chancellor Professor Livingstone Luboobi, at one time admitted to the
existence of this quite shocking and yet true tale of how female students
sexually seduce male lecturers in exchange for good grades.

"Some lecturers and students indulge in sex-for-marks but sometimes it is very
difficult to get the culprits especially when there is consent between the two
parties," Prof. Luboobi once noted.

“Sexual harassment” in this case is defined as unwelcome sexual advances or
requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical contact of sexual nature by
a lecturer or any other employee of the University when;

1) Submission by a student to such a conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a
condition for academic opportunity.

2) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by a student is used as a basis for
academic decisions affecting that student.

Sexual harassment at Makerere, once known as the Harvard of Africa, has
become commonplace and this is likely to harm the reputation of the university
with parents sending their children to other universities.

The existence of sexual harassment at Makerere is real and it is incumbent
upon the university authorities to protect female students.

A significant number of students both male and female have experienced sexual
harassment.

Sexual harassment in one-way or another interferes with a student’s academic
performance and emotional and physical well-being.

It’s quite absurd for one to excel academically just because she had sex with a
particular lecturer. While one the other hand, those who refuse to give in to the
demands of the lecturers’, this works against them.

In such a situation, of what value is hard work when marks are merely given in
exchange for sex?

This unjustly affects the academic standards and by the end of the day, the best
students are left out reason being, they couldn’t submit to the demands of
lecturers.

So where is the spirit of fair competition in such incidents? Of course none at all!

Preventing and remedying sexual harassment in schools and universities is therefore essential to ensure non-discriminatory, safe environments in which students can learn.

I do believe there should be remedies taken by the university authorities to stop this immoral and criminal act.

The elimination of sexual harassment of students in educational programs must be a high priority by the government and university authorities.

If treating sexual harassment merely as inappropriate behavior is not effective in ending it or preventing it from escalating, then schools and higher institutions of learning must take additional steps to ensure that students know that the conduct is prohibited sexual discrimination.

The government should provide to schools a comprehensive discussion of the legal standards and all related issues involved in resolving sexual harassment incidents.

There is need for students and lecturers to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner and should avoid compromising situations involving any romantic or sexual relationship.

The university authorities should also come up with a policy, which maintains an educational environment free from sexual harassment and intimidation.
Sexual harassment should expressly be prohibited and offenders subject to disciplinary action.

Lets together, “Build for the Future” with a Makerere free from sexual harassment.

Months of no blogging!

2007-11-28T03:52:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, it is quite long since i last posted something!

Not exciting on my part, but will apologise for having not. All you out

there, i bet you are pretty kool and enjoying the world of blogging. Its something

i have been missing of late, but believe you me not, am back. I can't figure out what i

have been doing for all this long. I have this nagging feeling that i wasn't too

busy, so i can't attribute my failure to that. So what could have gone wrong?

I just have no idea what could have happened, but am glad to be back. I believe

i will have fun, i know all you out there!

Recent Demonstrations in Kampala, Uganda

2007-05-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

Who is to blame in the recent Kampala demonstrations?

Last weeek's demonstration which was supposedly meant to be peaceful turned violent in which one Indian Deval Rawal and two other Ugandans lost their lives, several injured and property lost in the process. The events that happened should be condemned in the srongest terms possible.

There is no way we can bury our heads and pretend that nothing wrong happened, considering the fact that the issue concerns matters of life and death. The other issue that we cannot escape is tha racist placards against the Indian community in uganda.

This was absolutely uncalled for and shows how some people still live in the past where racism was so wide spread. In this era, there is no one who should be discriminated against on the basis of his/her race, sex, education background or religious or political party affiliation and it is clearly stipulated in our constitution.

The Asians to whom these racist sentiments were directed to are even Ugandans. Most of them have lived in the country for as many as 20 years whereas, others are by nature of birth Ugandans.

But after what happened last week, then who takes up the blame for all this? The system we find ourselves in should be the one to take blame for this! Those who are in power hardly hear the cries of the people they represent. What matters to those in power is the satisfaction of their greedy interests at the expense of the people they serve.

The question of Mabira give away was opposed from it's very inception from all angles of the public ranging from the learned to the illiterate, young to the old, environmentalists and even the busineess community. If those in authority could hear the voices of the people ,then no single life could have been lost. But since those in power have they own desires at heart, the peoples pledges to spare our natural source fell on deaf ears.

The whole idea was in such a way that many Ugandans were provocated in the process. It all seemed that the President and his sycophants wanted to see the reaction of Ugandans by giving away the natural resource that so many treassure.

Much as the actions of the demonstrators may be condemned, these people can't take the blame entirely because resentment towards the Indian community in the past hasn't escalated considering the fact that one member of parliament is an Indian.

Many factors should be bound in mind to consider why the people reacted the way they did. First, is tension and frustration on behalf of Ugandans. Many Ugandans feel they are not participating as much as possible in the development of their economy.

Many feel Asians are favoured as investors to Ugandans. This therefore implies that many potential Ugandans are denied an opportunity to participate in business. Another factor why the demonstrators reacted the way they did could be due to loss of confidence in their leaders. Many Ugandans have lost confidence in the people they elect considering the fact that they can easily be bribed to even support the most uncommon policies like it happened when members of Parliament were bribed to lift the third term for President Museveni.

The people of Uganda in this case are disappointed with their leaders and no longer have trust in them. This means people react to unpopular policies by whatever means possible to achieve their aims and aspirations. There is a lot of tension and frustration on the part of Ugandans. Many people still believe that if the President had heed to the peoples' pleas not to give away Mabira forest, the lives of Deval Rawal and the other two Ugandans could have been saved.

After all that happened last week, the ''Big Question'' is how can the relationship between Ugandans and the Asian community be improved to prevent a repeat of last week's events more so the racist slogans directed towards the Asian community by a few elements?
We need a policy where selection for the beneficiaries of state iniatitive must be open and on merit; through a well established body and criteria. Many Ugandas have cried foul, in that foreign investors are more preferred to them.

All we desire is a policy to encourage and facilitate nationals to participate in the development of the economy and industrialisation. Ugandas should form partnerships among themselves and or with foreign investors.

A serious and genuine long term foreign investor will be most at home when he works in partnership with the local sorrounding environment. If the investor's project is not in conflict with the desires and aspirations of the community, then it will be taken on more vigorous. But if on the other hand, it is in conflict with the aspirations of the people, likewise it will be rejected vehemently like it has been the case with Mabira forest.

If only God could save Mabira, as we look forward to developing ''Our Dear Pearl of Africa.''

Child Prostitution a Disgrace to our society.

2007-05-09T03:03:00.000-07:00

Child prostitution; a disgrace to our society.

Universally in the World, children are seen as innocent and immaculate. Childhood is seen as a “golden age" full of innocence but also vulnerable to evils and in need of adult protection.

Worldwide, children often give the first indication that something has gone wrong in society. Child prostitutes in Uganda are a clear indication of a society in crisis, which urgently needs to be addressed.

Child prostitution is a breakdown in a society that doesn't give proper care and guidance to its children. Why do we still find young children hanging out in public places late in the hours of the night with nobody speaking out against it? Is this really responsible child upbringing? Why do we tolerate these things?

This attitude towards the children has led to increase in the number of girls below the ages of 18 years getting involved in the commercial sex industry. Uganda has of late become a haven for trafficking of children, mostly girls being sexual exploited or sold to forced labor.

Similarly, the girls are also trafficked within the country from rural villages to border towns and urban centers for commercial sexual exploitation. The girls brought to town to work as house girls end up being subjected to prostitution.

This has apparently led to an increase in the number of girls involved in prostitution with most of them participating in the practice at young ages between 15-17 years. This has been rampant in urban areas where children are getting involved in the commercial sex industry, particularly in Kampala.

The implication is that many adolescents are being bullied, sexually harassed and even raped by people who are old enough to be their parents. Never before in African society has there been such widespread hostility to young people.

So where is the innocence of our children! Is child prostitution and sexual exploitation morally justified? No!

The situation our children find themselves in is terrible and calls for urgent intervention on the part of parents, government and all stakeholders. There is need to come up with strong laws regarding to child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Though penalties relating to sex offences and crime against children are handled under the defilement laws, this hasn't helped in curbing this evil of child prostitution. Reasons being that, most of these children do consent to sex in exchange of money as they find this as the only means of survival.

This means that offenders easily go away with it by taking advantage of these young girls' being on street to sexually harass them. So in this case, where is the justice for these victims of sexual harassment?

Since prostitution is illegal and not acceptable in our society, then child prostitution is absolutely abominable and not be tolerated in our beloved country. Many young girls are prone to the vagaries of sexual abuse. The chances of these girls getting infected with HIV/AIDS are high if this evil of child prostitution goes unabated and yet these are the children on which our future lies.

The situation above calls for an urgent intervention on the part of government to protect children from being recruited into sexual abuse/prostitution since childhood is taken to be full of innocence.

It's also the responsibility of parents to ensure that the innocence of all children are protected. Beyond telling children to keep sex for marriage, the parents must seek to surround their children with a loving and healthy atmosphere to help children not fall prey to exploitation.

The Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Dr. Nsaba Buturo should also commit himself to end this unlawful recruitment and use of children in sexual exploitation. These children are being raped, physically and emotionally abused. It must stop!