Rwandan students stranded as Makerere University closes

Makerere University was, yesterday, closed down indefinitely, leaving many international students, including Rwandans, unsure of their next step. The closure followed a lecturers and students’ strike that took place last week. “We are waiting until tomorrow (today) to know our fate, but for now, no communication has been made on whether there shall be provision of transport for us to go back home,” Anna Akaliza, a Rwandan student, told The New Times yesterday. The university council chairman, Dr. Charles Wana-Etyem, announced the closure yesterday, prompting students to protest the decision. “In the meantime, international students, the disabled and those from the College of Health Sciences, who were initially studying will be housed in one hall at the university campus,” Wana-Etyem added. The University’s Guild President, Dennis Oneka, said that top varsity officials will meet today to decide on a transport refund for international students and/or their accommodation. “I’m only getting news of the closure from the media, I don’t know what is going on,” added Kiiza, another Rwandan student pursuing a Masters Degree. The staff is demanding for the swift release of their Ush 16.7 billion pension funds from the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) on top of a salary increment of Shs. 8 million for the lowest paid members of the academic staff. The Ush16.7b accumulated between July 1996 and 2005, when the company operated a Deposit Administration Plan (DAP) for the universitys pension scheme. Ends