By Andrew Irumba
Early this week Spy Uganda published an article revealing how the student population at Kyambogo University have overwhelmed the administration to the extent that many of them are attending lectures while standing or sitting on the dirty floor.
A day after we published the story Kyambogo University administrators have admitted that indeed the institution is choking on a high number of students, to the extent that they cannot provide furniture and other services to all of them.
While students have been on the increase in the last two academic years, the university according to students hasn’t provided additional lecture rooms, furniture and lecturers. This, students say has caused stiff competition for the available resources and services at Campus.
The University Vice Chancellor, Professor Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya told the press that they are challenged by the overwhelming number of students, which has increased pressure on the available facilities. He noted that Student enrollment has increased from 25000 students in the past two academic years to 33,000 students.
Prof. Katunguka said that “Previously we used to speculate about the numbers but now we are able to see the numbers of students because we have a system that monitors and facilitates student registration. So we see the numbers of students as they register. And now there are about 33,000 students but we are hopeful we shall manage them with support from African Development Bank (ADB) facilities,”
He added that 29,000 of the 42,000 students who qualified to join universities after their Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE applied to join Kyambogo University. Although Kyambogo only admitted 17,000 students, Prof.Katunguka, said the University has in the recent past been the preferred institution of higher learning for several students.
Helen Ninsiima, a student leader at Kyambogo University told our Spy that they experience pressure and sometimes competition for toilets and chairs due to the high student enrollment.
Ninsiima said; “The newly built lecture rooms are yet to be utilized due lack of chairs. This has left staff and students with no option but to continue utilizing some of the dilapidated buildings with less capacity to hold the numbers.”
She added that “We agree the numbers are increasing as per admissions of 2019/2020 and these admissions have come with a lot of issues. We already have issues of the Main Hall West End that side, and it has a falling ceiling that means, students will be seated in a lecture and the ceiling falls on them, one day.”
She explained that “As the guild we are going to lock it until management makes it habitable again. But our worry even as we do this is that students will have nowhere to study from. Look at the new buildings they don’t have seats.”
Our Spy reveals that over 600 students offering Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management (Evening), Bachelor of Accounting and Finance (Day) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at Kyambogo have retakes in the Legal Framework of Organizations, a course unit taken by students in the School of Management and Entrepreneurship at Kyambogo University.
Jonathan Tundulu, the Kyambogo Students Guild President confirmed that many students were attending lectures while standing, which he said is embarrassing to a University of Kyambogo’s stature.
According to Prof. Katunguka, it is this increase in student admissions that has prompted the university to open upcountry learning centers. So far, Kyambogo has created two learning centers in Bushenyi and Soroti son as to decongest the University.
