By Mwebembezi Fred
Fort Portal Uganda….
More than 250 students of Makerere University Fort Portal campus have threatened to sue the oldest Institution to court due to an abrupt closure of their institution.
Makerere University council agreed to close the western campus in Fort Portal over low student enrollment and competition from the existing institutions.
A letter that came up May 25th 2016 signed by Charles Barugahare the University Secretary, suggested that the campus will not open for the 2016-2017 academic year. He stated that the council’s decision was based on the poor enrollment since the inception of the campus in 2010.
The Fort Portal campus renting in the Kingdom headquarters in Mucwa was established to serve students from the districts of Ibanda, Hoima, Bundibugyo, Kasese, Kyenjojo, Kamwenge and Ntoroko.
Other basis for closure includes failure by the community in Fort Portal to embrace the campus due to the existence of the two private universities; Mountains of the Moon and Uganda Pentecostal University and failure to identify suitable and convenient premises for the campus.
Ritah Namisango, the Makerere University Public Relations Officer confirmed the council’s decision and said students who have been studying at the campus will not be affected by the closure.
Namisango elaborated that the students will remain students of Makerere University on the same academic programmes since they have admission letters from Makerere but will either be relocated to the main campus in Kampala or to Jinja campus.
Talking to mk news link reporter, the students reveal that they did not agree with the made decision and everything is already compiled in an attempt to sue the institution on the grounds that the agreed promises were not adhered with.