Kyambogo University has allowed students from private hostels outside the university to come in the university halls of residences after some hostels refused to reduce the accommodation fees.
When final year students reported for final wrap up of their studies, they found some hostel owners had hiked the accommodation fee opposed to what they had agreed with the University management. They had negotiated and reached an understanding that final year students will be charged the affordable fares for hostel utilities like electricity and water.
Mildred Tibananuka the Dean of students Kyambogo University explains that when the university noticed this concern, they have decided to accommodate some students especially those who cannot withstand the condition in those hostels.
Tibananuka says she was approached by some students who requested for the accommodation in the university halls of residence citing various reasons.
According to the dean of students, they have done this because some hostels have not cooperated with the university to charge extra fees and instead hiked the charges to levels which students cannot afford and they will not leave their students to suffer.
She adds that students came with reasons like students cannot stay with their relatives/guardians anymore because they are not comfortable with the daily usable public means of transport for they fear it could expose them to COVID-19.
Kyambogo University has five halls of residence; these are, Kulubya, Mandela, North hall, Pearl and Nanziri halls.
Tibananuka reveals that after receiving final year students, they realized that they still have space which can be given to such students while observing the recommended social distancing.
The number of final year students who are supposed to report back to halls of residence is four hundred students (400). Kulubya has 100, Mandela 30, Nanziri 140, North hall 40 and pearl 90. However, the dean says, some students did not come back to halls of residences.
The approved accommodation fee for private students in the university halls of residence is Shs300,000 per semester. However, students shall be charged Shs120,000 for a period of 44 days during which they are going to be completing their second semester 2019/2020.
She however notes that the only conditions to these students to be permitted in the halls are paying the accommodation fee and that they must be final year students of Kyambogo university. And the first come will be the first to be served until there are no more spaces.
To students who have been overwhelmed by the hiking of the hostel fee, this is a blessing landing at the right time.
Samuel Ecuru a second year finalist of food processing and technology says when he reported, the landlady conditioned him to pay shillings 300,000 for accommodation and other charges mounting to shillings 150,000 for other services and he had to leave for a rental which he says he accepted to pay shillings 170,000 for 44 days.
He says that now that there is this chance, he will also shift to University halls of residence for safety and security.
Kyambogo University upon receiving the information of accommodation fee, they tried to engage hostel owners and majority adjusted. However a few maintained the fee.
