UGANDA: Makerere University scraps free food

Makerere University's council has resolved to scrap free meals for all students due to high food prices and the financial squeeze at Uganda's biggest university, writes Francis Kagolo for New Vision. From the next academic year, which opens on 15 August, every student in the government scholarship scheme will instead get a daily meal allowance of sh2,000.

"The university council resolved to disengage from the provision of all meals in halls of residence," the council resolution read. "It is no longer economically viable for the university to continue feeding government-sponsored students." The decision cuts across all institutions affiliated to the university, including the Makerere University Business School in Nakawa.

The council directed the university management to invite private companies to run restaurants in students' halls of residence. The private caterers will have to pay rent and buy their own gas for cooking. There are 33,488 students at Makerere University, about half of whom are sponsored by the government and have been getting three free meals daily from the nine halls of residence on the campus.
Full report on the New Vision site