More than one hundred students pursuing masters and PhDs at Makerere University have been ordered to vacate their hall of residence; Dag Hammarskjold to ostensibly create room for renovations.
In a letter dated July 15, 2024, written by Winifred Kabumbuli the dean of Students, and addressed to the students, the university announced that renovations would commence in two weeks. To facilitate this process, the hall will be closed, and all residents must vacate by July 31, 2024. “Please note that students who have paid their accommodation fees in advance will be given priority for residence in the renovated hall, in line with the new rates,” the letter reads in part.
Unlike other halls of residence at Makerere University, Dag Hammarskjold Hall is designated specifically for postgraduate students and accommodates both female and male students.
Speaking to Sanyu, students who asked not to be named to speak freely wondered why they had been given only two weeks. “How can you give us only two weeks to relocate; where do they want us to go? We have students who are out of the country, we have students who are about to finish writing their dissertations, and we have others who are keeping their research samples in fridges here. These people need time to plan their exit, two weeks is simply not enough,” one student said.
Another student was also preferred anonymity said they needed one year for them to relocate to other places. “We have paid our rent upfront and we don’t have money to look for new residences. We need time for us to figure out what to do. Giving us two weeks is simply a bad joke,” another student said.
This renovation if it commences, will see the third hall of residence undergo such work since the university initiated a comprehensive plan to refurbish all its deteriorating halls, which had raised concerns from various stakeholders. The first hall to be renovated was Lumumba Hall for male students.
