The chairman of Makerere Univeristy council Eng Dr Charles Wana-Etyem has today inaugurated the Makerere University Students’ disciplinary committee that is meant to ensure discipline in the campus. In an event that was held at the Senior Common Room, Etyem said discipline at Makerere has been a big challenge, a reason the committee has been instituted.
Its members include Precious Ngabirano (chairman), Dr Rose Nakayi (academic staff representative), Associate Professor Umar Kakumba (academic staff representative), Ahmed Ssentongo (Imaam of university mosque), Carolyne Hope Nabaasa (member of public) and Prossie Katongole Kyazze (committee secretary).
These, Etyem said, will effortlessly ensure discipline in the university, before encouraging the vice chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe to keep his office open to handle students grievances in time to avoid strikes.
However, the guild president Paul Kato said the committee was instituted without their knowledge, a reason he stormed out of the event before its completion.
“How can you institute a committee that handles students affairs and you don’t consult student leaders? I’m a member of the council but I didn’t know anything about it,” Kato said.
However, the director legal affairs of the university Goddy Muhumuza said the committee was legal and didn’t require students on it.
He also explained that having a student on the committee would be risky. For example, he said that if this committee suspended a student over discipline-related cases, the student representative would be attacked, a reason they didn’t include any.
But Nawangwe said this committee would not have been instituted if it was not for a few students that spoil Makerere’s name. He added that students will benefit more from it.
For his part, Ngabirano, a practicing lawyer said he is willing to do the assigned job.
“We shall apply rules of natural justice… We shall give students ample time to prepare their defenses and in all we shall do, we shall be fair to all parties,” Ngabirano said.
The committee will, among others, reprimand a student reported, demand an apology from the student and suspend the student for a specified time.