KAMPALA: Makerere University has protested the Government’s decision to implement Shs25.9Bn budget cuts on the institution’s budget, which is likely to affect the quality of services the University will offer in 2024/25.
Makerere University was given Shs372.186 billion in 2023/24, but the budget is likely to shrink to Shs353.99 billion in 2024/25, with wages costing Shs208.970 billion, non-wage She129.642 billion, and development budgeting Shs15.372 billion.
A team of Makerere University officials led by the University Secretary, Yusuf Kiranda on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 held a meeting with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament to respond to their inquiries in the December 2023 Auditor General’s report.
While interacting with MPs on the PAC on university property, Kiranda urged them to make sure the decision is overturned because the majority of the things whose budget was cut are ones that students directly utilize.
“Part of the funding for which the budget was cut was for services for which students pay tuition or functional fees like; graduation, internship, industrial training, and when the money is cut, it means we will not be able to give our students value for money for the fees they pay to us. But it is also affecting other activities including utility bills like water, electricity and internet. Unless these budget cuts are addressed, and reversed, we can no longer guarantee high quality training for which Makerere University is known for,” said Kiranda.
Kiranda warned that if the budget cuts are not reversed, subsequent audits may report underperformance on the part of Makerere University, as a significant portion of the University’s budget has been taken away.
“I am not aware of any other public university that has suffered budget cuts as Makerere University,” he noted. MPs also visited other universities like Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Uganda Management Institution, and Law Development Centre.
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According to the State Minister of Finance, Henry Musasizi, the estimated budget for 2024–2025 is now Ugx 58,340,852,552,130. It is anticipated that the House will approve the budget in May.
