Mak Secures UGX 2.3bn for Gov’t Students

Makerere University has secured funds for Government-sponsored students.

The money authorized through the University Subvention Account in Stanbic Bank on Monday is meant to cater for first batch of payment.

Yusuf Kiranda, the Acting University Secretary says that 1.48 billion shillings and 860 million shillings has been secured for students’ meals and accommodation respectively.

This is short of more than 2.9billion shillings required for full payments of the allowances.

“Management wishes to thank the students’ community for the patience and discipline as the allowances are being processed,” says Kiranda.

Students will, however, start receiving only half instalment of food allowance totalling to 267,500 shillings and full allowance for living out (accommodation) for non-residents also amounting to 232,750 shillings due to financial crisis at the institution.

Government-sponsored student with disabilities are entitled helpers/interpreters who are equally entitled to food and living out allowances.

However, according to the payment schedule from the Makerere University Dean of Students office, the university has been able to pay only the accommodation allowance to a tune of 38 million shillings for 105 helpers and interpreters.

Out of the 56million shillings required for meals for the interpreters, the university has managed only 28million shillings in the first batch. It is not clear when the second batch will be paid.

“This is to inform you that the process of payment for food and living out allowances has commenced,” says Kiranda in his circular sent out to government students on Tuesday.

Students have been warned that the process might, however, delay since it involves transfer of funds from the Integrated Finance Management System (IFMS) to the university account in Stanbic bank, from where payments are made directly to the individual student bank accounts.

“The funds are expected to begin reflecting on individual student bank accounts by early next week, depending on the bank clearance processes,” Kiranda notes.

All Government Sponsored students have been asked to ensure they are enrolled on the Academic Information Management System (AIMS) as the information used for payment of allowances is generated directly from AIMS. 78 students are yet to enrol.

Meanwhile, the University has declined to process allowances of 146 students on government sponsorship after they failed to clear their outstanding fees balances.

Government students at Makerere University pay between 40,000 shillings and 120,000 as functional fees for their registration and other hall services. The outstanding obligations to students total to Shs. 7.5million.

URN has established that the institution has withheld 76million shillings for food allowances, and 22.5million shillings living out allowances all totalling to more than 100million shillings.

“Students who have not enrolled on AIMS and those who have outstanding payment obligations shall not receive their allowances until enrolment and clearance of any outstanding obligations is made,” Kiranda says.

Last month, Lubowa Ssebina Gyaviira, the Acting Bursar told students that there would be a “slight delay” in the release of funds.

He explained that the delay was occasioned by the need to effect adjustment to the budget to provide for some activities related to teaching, internship and student allowances.

This is not the first time Makerere is announcing delays in payment of student’s allowances. In July last year, the institution diverted an initial student allowance allocation amounting to Shillings 3.35 billion to cover other priority areas.

URN