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By Staff Writer/ News,
:: 24-02-2010
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What are your four top concerns about the guild today and how do you hope to address them?Corruption: History proves that guild leadership is a matter of self-seeking individuals who enter and are not ashamed of organized crimes related to loss and misuse of guild funds.
A few of these can be traced back through history ranging from Waiswa and the common television scandal; Billy Paul Kalema and the disturbing misappropriation of class representative's facilitation funds, and the recent Kenneth Mulemi scandal, among many more.Answer: Our principle is going to be zero tolerance to corruption and collective-participation allocation of funds and ensuring proper accountability reports. This will be done through appointing independent committees to monitor guild expenditures.
Fees policy: Views of students are not considered and there is no critical analysis on where they come from. Less-advantaged students have no room to explain their challenges. Non-resident students' conditions in the hostels need attention as well. Poor hygiene and insecurity are a big threat.
Answer: Views of students are to be collected to constitute the fees policy. A team of students should be allowed a dialogue with university administration for a hearing and therefore such concerns go to the university council for consideration. Fees increments should also be well explained and projected early enough.
Accounts Department should stop mistreating students. There is also need to improved customer care at that department.
International students: As a matter of urgency, our brothers and sisters need There is need to establish a coordinating office for them and also have an arrangement for them to keep their luggage. Possibility of helping them with transport by guild bus to their bus terminals is paramount.
Kampala campus: There is need for Kampala campus to be given computer services. The space for the campus also needs to be expanded both for residence and learning space-lecture room.
How do you hope to fulfill student's aspirations and also maintain UCU identity even when the two may at times clash?
The principle of diplomacy will prevail as we try to bridge the gap between students and the university administration. Dialogue between student representatives and administration will help to create mutual trust. Students should be seen as the major stakeholder and so need to be listened to. Students shall be part of the university policy making process to uphold student's aspiration as well as maintain UCU identity.
What use do you think the Guild is to the administration, students and neighbouring community?
Indeed, the guild is the mouth piece for the student's body. Well as the guild is an ear of the university administration to listen to the students in order to deliver students expectations.
As a body of students, we are also ambassadors, of the university and the entire community and the whole region. The guild is also a machine for the conflict resolution for matters that arise between the administration and the students; students and the community around UCU and among students themselves as reflected by some of the cases handled previously by the guild tribunal.
It is also a tool for unity especially through activities like cultural gala, parties, general assemblies, games and sports.
How do you hope to grow the guild's resources to offer better services?
There is need to introduce income generating projects. The existing ones will be reviewed for better performance. Such possible projects will include; the guild complex to host various student oriented business such as a saloon, take away and printing services.
PROFILE
"To serve and redeem the image of the Guild government."
This was the first sentence I got from Guild presidential hopeful, Alex Omweru, about his desire to take up the students' most coveted office.
The Guild is a body that represents interests of the students' community at decision and policy making organs of the university.
The Guild has, however, been a hub for the nurturing of self-centred individuals who have amassed wealth and forgotten the reasons for which they were elected.
"I have zero tolerance to corruption and misuse of public office, that is one of the reasons why I quit the previous Guild government where I was a minister," said Omweru.
A seasoned politician, Omweru hopes to bring his vast experience to the Guild so that the errors that have characterised the Guild will be something of the past and also to leave a legacy that will serve as a yardstick for leaders to come.
"Most of the cries of students are that the Guild has lacked credibility and has ignored the plight of students," he said.
He adds that the Guild has not come out to rescue students when it comes to things that matter.
"The tuition standoff was one of the areas that the Guild should have shown solidarity with students, instead they simply watched on or organised raffle draws to fleece them off," Omweru explained.
He added that if he comes to office he would try to standardise the contract that exists between students and the university administration.
"Coming to university is a contract; students should continue paying fees for to study courses for which they were admitted," he said.
The fourth child in a family of 13 siblings, Omweru says he has lived the humblest of lives. That humble background at one point almost disabled him from following his dream of education.
Omweru attended nursery school at Busitema, before moving to Kateeta Model Primary School, Serere for his O-level education and Sagich Royal Secondary School also in Serere for his A-level education.
He has a diploma in education from National Teachers College Kaliro and has an array of leadership positions he has held before.
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