Alex B. Atuhaire
Kampala
The Minister of Education, Ms Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire, has appealed to the Ministry of Finance to provide additional funding to Makerere University to save it from imminent closure.
Makerere has become broke and has no money to run the university this and next month.
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The Makerere University Bursar, Mr Ben Byambabazi, wrote to the University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Livingstone Luboobi, on Thursday telling him the university could close prematurely after the Treasury refused to provide Shs5 billion supplementary funding.
The Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, who is also the university chancellor, told The Monitor yesterday that Bitamazire was handling the problem.
"I am aware of the problem, but it's good that you get the details from the sector minister who is trying to solve the problem with the minister of finance," Nsibambi said by telephone.
However, Bitamazire declined to give details.
"We are addressing the issue through the Ministry of Finance," she said. When pressed for details, Bitamazire replied, "That statement is adequate."
Byambabazi's letter said the university would not meet its May and June salary obligations worth Shs4.8 billion as well as bills and commitments of Shs4.7 billion which had not been catered for.
The university has for the last two months failed to pay its workers on time.
"I believe you have been following the trend as far as financing the university 2004/2005 is concerned. As I stated from the beginning that the year would be difficult, it has indeed become difficult," Byambabazi wrote.
According to him, the university has already spent over 95 percent of the Shs28.8 billion subvention funds allocated to it in the 2004/2005 budget. He said besides that, the Treasury had not responded to the university's December 2004 request for an additional Shs5 billion funding.
"On 28th April 2005, the Vice-Chancellor communicated to the Treasury by reminding them on the supplementary funds request. There is no answer yet," he said.
"Without positive action on the above situation the university is heading for strikes from staff, strikes from students and premature closure. It appears we have exhausted all that could be done," Byambabazi's letter reads.
The government allocated Shs28, 874,000,000 to Makerere University for 2004/2005. This included the Shs3.04 billion salary enhancement for the academic staff and Shs120 million for capital development.
However, the government had by this month released Shs27.8 billion, leaving Shs991, 041,677 outstanding.
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