Our reporter
The Vice chancellor of Kampala University Prof Badru Ddungu Kateregga has warned lecturers for trading marks for sex and money.
Prof Kateregga, the owner and also the Chairperson of Universities vice chancellors forum of Uganda made the warnings on Sunday while presiding over closure of three days inter-campus cultural gala festival at the sister campus of Masaka in New Kkumbu.
He says that the habit which is eating up most universities should be greatly condemned by institutions and the government; suspensions have been effected to the perpetuators but we are now considering putting up a more serious punishment to deter others.
Kateregga said there is no culture that allows gender based violence, harassment and any kind of corruption including taking bribes from students for marks.
“Corruption of any form is punishable by law and as the vice chancellors in Uganda have resolved to come up with possible measures that will help to eradicate the habit, we have entered an understanding not only to shame but also enforce denial of jobs to the perpetuators by writing and forwarding their names to all East African Universities through the East African inter-universities council and Uganda’s Vice Chancellors forum,” he said.
Professor said the habit being common public universities doesn’t mean that they don’t exist in private institutions.
“It just because we have not yet identified such habits in private institutions, so it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist, they do, though are done behind curtains but however shall be caught in my universities shall face the music and not a lovely music,” he cautioned.
He also cautioned male and female students who may wish to entice lecturers that are also pending loss of their academic carrier; most of the time we put the blame on lecturers because they are older than students.
The 11th cultural gala of kampala University campuses started on Friday with activities that included: community service (Bulungi bwansi) at Masaka referral hospital, blood donation, giving basic necessities to mothers at maternity ward, competing in different performances that climaxed with modeling.
Mrs Jolly Shubaiha Kateregga, the director for marketing said an annual festival was started with the intention of teaching to preserve African culture which is getting covered by western culture.
“Culture is what identifies from others and with such events, we are able to exhibit the actual cultural norms and compare them with the current westernized norms that we think are worth to be followed in order to realize why Africa behaves the way it does,” she explains.
Muhiire Kanyanasoro, the Masaka campus director also explained that they chose to start with community services in the hospital to continue stimulating good atmosphere for the patients.
“Community service involves general cleanliness and preservation of the environment, tidiness may lead to contact of diseases and other related illnesses; to create the prevention the campus will be joining the council at least once in a month to promote the campaign of community services.” Mr Kanyanasoro said.
The competitions that had more than 36 cultural groups including those from Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Somalia from the five branches of kampala University where won by Baganda Nkobazambogo Association from Masaka Campus that emerged the best in the various items.
Juliet Tino from Masaka campus was crowned the University Miss culture 2018-2019 and Henry Yabira from Ggaba campus crowned Mr Culture.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com