HOW MY NEIGHBOUR'S GIRL FRIEND SPOILED MY EASTER

How I celebrated my Easter Sunday

Yesterday but one was a Sunday of 20^th April, 2014. On that day most of the Christians in Uganda stormed holy places of worship to celebrate Easter Sunday and possibly give a little penny (offertory) to the lord.

Earlier in the morning of that day, my neighbour on my right who for the whole semester had been preparing their meals inside the room decided to put out their small “sigiri” (charcoal stove) for the first time and poured “butto” cooking oil and intentionally directed flavours of the contents in the source pan to my door.

Eventually I had to get out of my bed because my nose could not hold more of these “bisoorora” sweet smells of the food at the door step of my small room. This lady (my neighbour’s gal friend) had kept humming sweetly outside as she deliberately kept on opening the pan.

After taking my shower, I received a message from my neighbour inviting me to be with them at lunch.

Although the invitation seemed genuine, the smile from this lady seemed unwelcoming that I thought to think twice before honouring the invitation.

When it was time for lunch, I knocked at the room only to be told that they had finished everything that had been left for me and that may be I check later in the evening.

When I sat in my room with my arms on my head, I came across a poem by Gabriel Okara, a Nigerian poet and it reminded me of how people can at times change. And reduced myself to my usual kikomando meal.

I learnt that people now days have learnt to laugh with only their teeth out and no longer laugh with their hearts.  

The use of “I” in this story is deliberate but it was not me hahahahaha.

WHERE IS THE HONESTY OF CAMPUSERS

WHERE DID HONESTY GO?

It’s hard to imagine that today, in an era where everything has been eased by education civility reigns and you expect people to be honest to themselves.

However the more honest you are, the more foolish you are assumed to be and at times it becomes difficult to be honest but does this justify wrong doing? Why should we always hide in the dark just because we fear to be fooled?

Comrades, a few days ago a friend of mine and I were engaged in a heated debate that demanded answers that both of us could hardly produce. The argument was about missing marks, loss of course work and plagiarism. This discussion had been triggered by my friend who for a full month had been spending his nights awake owing to failure to locate his missing course work. He had had numerous thoughts about how he would appear in the preceding year’s class to master it what most campusers regard as the ‘undesirable’, retake.

Sure enough as he was, that someone could possibly have taken his course work paper, he did not give up. On a cool Monday mid-morning, standing with his eyes wide open suspicious to any one that appeared with a piece of paper. At that time I can confirm to you that he did not own his heart as all the efforts to recover his lost course work seemed futile.

While he was still standing in the corridors of this gigantic building called arts block, a brown lady appears holding disorganized papers and seemed to have stolen them. I quickly bump into her and on checking the paper; it was a friend’s course work paper.

To his annoyance, the lady had plucked off his page cover and covered it with hers with the different names. Surprising enough the lady who claimed a friend of hers had given it to her to hand it in for her.

This was an irritating moment for her and most of her friends who were around her. I honestly feel that we should be ourselves before we assume who we are not. It costs nothing to remain one’s self and work not towards the down fall of others but rather towards the rise of all of us.  

TO MAKERERE:INVOLVE STUDENTS IN DECISION MAKING AND PLANNING

Makerere administrators should involve students in planning and decision making

Over the years, Makerere University has tried to adopt and implement a number of policies, such as privatisation, 60% tuition policy and other policies that come as a result of recommendations made through reports such as the Omaswa report, etc in order to curb the problems of Uganda’s premier University.

In his speech given at the swearing in ceremony about two weeks ago at the university’s main building, Mr. Ivan Bwowe the guild president highlighted that he was ready to fight for students’ representation on the various university committees. He kept on noting that students were shareholders not stake holders in Makerere.

Whereas the move towards implementing most of these policies in the University is for noble cause and well mentioned, it creates a lot of misunderstandings between the University council, students body and its leadership where some students feel that perhaps the policies are rather harsh and unfair and meant to eliminate most of whom come from not well-to-do back grounds.

Therefore in my submission, I think the university leadership must plan well for the smooth shift and changes that are to always occur. This I say basing on the fact that most of the changes come with some inconveniences hence people might find it difficult to immediately leave their comfort zones.

If the university really wants to prosper and progress, the top officials should have picked a leaf or two from the previous strikes ranging from students’, academic staff and support staff lay down of tools all of which mostly are just a result of lack of coordination, and misinformation.

When the consumers of the services instigate disgusts and complaints about the programme that you are bringing to them, then it might lead to diversion of resources, attention and time to implementation. And in most cases it might attract politicians who might come in to incite/ cause the undesirable moral virtues.

In August 2013, when the lecturers went on strike and the university authorities declared closure of the University for about 2 weeks, most of the repercussions were faced by students ranging from increased hostel fees, meals and others and eventually impacting on the second semester. All these were a result of the University’s failure to raise funds to meet the dons pay rise.

Therefore I call upon the University’s leadership to always implement with regard to the people for whom the services are intended. This can be achieved by always engaging both ‘stake holders’ and ‘shareholders,’ through asking for their views, and suggestions and allowing for representation on various committees to make people feel they are part of the system.

The university cannot work in isolation of students. And in addition, students here at campus are reasonable enough to also contribute towards the university’s progress. Together we shall have the glory of this mighty institution revived.

Whereas the university administration has been trying to implement most of these policies, it has experienced numerous resistances from students partly because students are not thoroughly informed of the prevailing changes.

The writer is a student of Journalism and communication at Makerere University.

For criticism, comments supplements please send me an email on 47davidson@gmail.com

BWOWE: REWARDED FOR HIS FIGHT TOWARDS STUDENTS CAUSE

It is nearly a month since the guild elections were held and we have watched the unfolding of many events, discussions and stories of successes from those that went through.

The elections that were brings me back the memories of my village in Kyempene Rubaare Ntungamo where many people voted because as aresult of the highest bidder. Irrespective of whether someone is competent or not, people will vote them in my village if they have been given “akamiro” which is advanced to logistics (Mugaati) at University.

To be the guild president is not an easy job especially when one is from a humble background. The race is always very tight and expensive to the extent that a candidate will always have to facilitate his/her campaigners.

To Bwowe Ivan, a third year student of law at Makerere, this wasn’t the case. Humble as he was in the first days of the campaigns when he would walk alone because possibly he did not have the financial clout to convince the masses to rally behind him for support.

The topsy-turvy, and the dramatic reversal of events and attitudes of students towards the voting period was really a shock to many especially the supporters of Aseru Sarah, Aber Lillian and Phillip Musiime who were we positioned to even offer some goodies such as pens, alcohol, food etc

Meanwhile students were quick to realise that whereas one may offer alot of money, he might not be with you in times of hardship especially when they have got what they wanted.

The confusion the marred guild campaigns including the disqualification of Andrew Mujinya, Boniface Mbabazi, Emmanuel Wanyama Ojambo who were potential contenders in the race, landed Bwowe to the fertile grounds for his victory.

In addition, Lillain Aber who stood a sure chance to win because of her Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party became tribal centred and had directly involved herself in the petition against the authenticity of Mujinya in the race and eventually caused many of his supporters to lose faith in Aber and desperately rammed Bwowe.

Similarly, Aseru Sarah’s case was also predetermined because her father is the minister of Local government in the current Museveni government and therefore students were unsure of whether she would not be compromised. More so it was also alleged that her mother who is among the top officials in the University senate did all in her power to see Andrew Mujinya disqualified and this cost her a lot.

Musime phillip who initially was independent and later joined the National Resistence Movement (NRM) camp as their flag bearer following the disqualification of Boniface Mbabazi on grounds that he had forged the academic results put Musiime to test because NRM in Makerere was already biased and only students went there for ‘Mugaati’ (logistics) since as the ruling party, they always have money to offer.

Now comes a Bwowe Ivan just from nowhere, manipulates the available environment and becomes the 80^th guild president of Makerere University with 6943 votes and 64.66%. His involvement in the case filed by Bwowe and others Vs Makerere University that eventually saw the cancellation of decision by the university council to suspend them due to their participation in the spate of demonstrations against the 60% tuition policy previously.

Finally, I hope every member of this gallant intellectual community had a pick from the elections.  Beware that it is not the size of a dog that matters in a dog’s fight but rather the size of the fight. Bwowe’s victory largely was due to factors that were beyond his making.