• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Africa News
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Showbiz
  • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • People
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • Video
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Africa News
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Showbiz
  • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • People
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • Video
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

Slow uptake of foreign scholarships riles MPs

Watchdog Uganda by Watchdog Uganda
16th December 2022 at 11:28
in National, News
0 0
0
Slow uptake of foreign scholarships riles MPs

Hon. Eddie Kwizera (L), Hon. Juliet Kinyamatama and Hon. Fredrick Angura during the interface with the education ministry officials

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
ShareTweetSendShare

The low uptake of scholarships offered to Uganda has become a major concern to legislators on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC – Central Government).

A review of scholarships offered to Uganda in the last three years laid bare that out of 280 scholarship slots provided, only 162 are filled, resulting in an under absorption of 42 per cent.

While meeting the technical team from the Ministry of Education and Sports led by the Permanent Secretary, Ketty Lamaro, on Thursday, 15 December 2022 on the audit report for the financial year ended 30 June 2021, MPs asked for proper management of both government and bilateral scholarships for full absorption to maximise benefits.

“One of the hindrances on [bilateral] scholarships is when the beneficiaries are asked to pay for their own accommodation or medical care [which they cannot afford]. The education ministry needs to improve on their budgeting to cater for all these,” said Tororo South MP, Hon. Fredrick Angura.

The permanent secretary blamed this on budgetary cuts and inadequacies resulting from the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Hon. Sarah Opendi (NRM, Tororo District Woman Rep.) urged the ministry to fast-track the process of developing a scholarship policy to address gaps in the management of scholarships as advised by the Auditor General.

“You claim to be giving out scholarships, but where are these adverts put? People are being asked to pay money in exchange for scholarships. We need a policy which should come before the law and once the law is out then we shall need guidelines to operationalise the law. So people [at the ministry] are sleeping on the job,” Hon. Opendi said.

The Auditor General in his report had indicated that Uganda’s lack of a policy on scholarships had limited the country’s ability to advance the interest of the ministry when negotiating for bilateral scholarships.

According to Lamaro, the ministry has already drafted a policy on scholarships and awaits submission to cabinet for approval.

Tasked by the committee chairperson, Hon. Medard Sseggona (NUP, Busiro East) to explain why the education ministry did not have records of the number of students who have benefited from bilateral scholarships, the Commissioner for Admissions, Scholarships and Students’ Affairs at the ministry, Muzamil Mukwatampola, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is best suited to know the exact beneficiaries.

“The bilateral scholarships come to us through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; we rely on what they send us. So we cannot claim to know all scholarships because we do not handle bilateral issues,” he said.


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com

Tags: MPsParliamentscholarships
Previous Post

How traffic police officer lost his life while responding to minor accident 

Next Post

Vice President Alupo kicks off PDM funds disbursement at Post Bank

Next Post
Vice President Alupo kicks off PDM funds disbursement at Post Bank

Vice President Alupo kicks off PDM funds disbursement at Post Bank

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Plot 23, Yusuf Lule Road
PO Box 7661 Kampala, Uganda
Office Line: +256 777 286 815
Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Follow Us on Twitter

Tweets by watchdogug

Follow Us on Facebook

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Contact

© 2021 Watchdog Uganda

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Business
  • Op-Ed
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Special Report
  • Video
  • Luganda

© 2021 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In