By Taban Gabriel
The Kampala University (KU) saga has taken another toll as aggrieved party (300 South Sudanese students from Juba Branch) have litigated the Main University’s administration to court in Uganda.
The depressed students opted to seek answers from the court in Kampala as to why they have not been permitted to graduate with their counterparts from the main campus in Kampala on 23rd of June.
However leaked report doing rounds on social media and also published by Eye Radio attributed and revealed flaws by some officials at the South Sudan National Ministry of Higher Education.
The story credited to the Vice Chancellor of the Main KU Prof. Badru Dungu Kateregga, faulted some officials within the Ministry of higher education (I can’t mentioned their name here in respect of their privacy) for exorbitantly charging the affiliate University USD 50,000 for registration in 2017 a figure at odd with the traditional SSP 120,000 registration cost, the VC claimed.
The document further disclosed that VC Kateregga had directed the principle of KU Juba branch to stop admitting students from the beginning of that same year.
This seep out document has cleared and exposed real ghosts and spirits behind the graduation’s drama at KU Juba Branch; the officials at the National Ministry of Higher Education and the Principle of KU Juba are to blame for the denial meted against South Sudanese alumni.
In another story ran on the same report, it’s alleged that the chairperson for Economic Cluster sub-committee for Non-oil revenues Onyoti Adigo had last year urged the higher Institution of learning to close down the University in question due to their legitimacy alarm.
But both the officials at the Ministry and the Principle of the affiliate University cold-shouldered the calls.
It’s now time for them ‘officials at the Higher Ministry of Education’ and the principle of KU Juba branch to present answers as to why they allowed the KU colleague University to keep on admitting students despite their registration questions.
On the same, the officials at our Education Ministry should also explain to South Sudanese masses as to why they snub the request by the Economic committee official to close down the University?
Enough of these corruptions accompanied by extreme impunity against South Sudanese; it’s time some people are accounted for their wrong deeds against our hard won country and citizens.
The South Sudan Embassy in Uganda should consider raising this issue to the presidency if the incumbent Minister can’t bring the issue on table.
Enough of the laughter and mockery we received from our neighbouring East African member countries.
Kampala University and all other unregistered affiliated universities should cease operation and scamming our people.
It’s time all our public institutions prevail above their political limitations and provide the most needed service to our deprived citizens.
Taban Gabriel is a South Sudanese freelance Journalist; for any query about this article, he can be reached at email address; Gabronn2014@gmail.com