Makerere University’s visitation committee has ordered for a student headcount to establish the actual number of learners at the institution.
The committee, which is trying to get to the root of the university’s troubles, last week ordered the headcount, in a communication to the academic registrar, Alfred Namoah Masikye.
In turn, the academic registrar ordered that every student present him/herself to their respective colleges today (January 23, 2017) for the headcount.
“As part of its terms of reference, the visitation committee appointed by H.E the president of republic of Uganda will conduct a headcount of all students of Makerere University. The purpose of this head count is to verify the number and status of students at Makerere,” reads part of Masikye’s letter.
All continuing students will have to present their valid university identity cards and admission letters while first years will be required to carry their registration forms or admission letters and either their former secondary school IDs or national identity cards, or both.
In a statement placed at all university noticeboards, students have been warned to fully cooperate with the counting team, as those who will fall short of the requirements and consequently fail to get verified may be deemed not to be students of Makerere and will instantly be purged from all university records.
The question of how many students are at Makerere had never been correctly answered, with some officials at the university putting the number at 35,000 while others saying it’s about 40,000.
To solve Makerere woes, the chairman of the committee, Dr Abel Rwendeire, previously said one needs to know the actual figure of students so as to establish how much money is collected per semester.
The visitation committee consists of nine members and it was instituted by President Museveni on November 14, 2016, to probe Makerere University problems that had culminated into a myriad of strikes by students, teaching and non-teaching staff.
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