Kampala —

Students on Friday sought the help of the Opposition leader and were served meals at the NUP office in Makerere Kavule - as well as relief ration

In response to a growing crisis of unpaid food allowances for government-sponsored students, around 500 Makerere University students assembled at the National Unity Platform (NUP) headquarters in Kamwokya.

These students, primarily in their first, second, and third years, report having gone weeks without receiving their allowances, leaving many without food and struggling to make ends meet.

The students claim that government delays in disbursing funds have left them with no choice but to borrow or, in extreme cases, beg for food.

According to reports, first-year students have received just 92,000 shillings of the expected 750,000-shilling allowance, intended to cover an entire semester--a shortfall that has forced some students to go without food for days.

National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, who met with the students, expressed deep concern over their plight and warned that Makerere University could soon face a serious crisis if authorities fail to address the issue.

"I want to challenge the administration of Makerere and indeed to warn you that these students who do not have what to eat--when push comes to shove, they are going to eat you," Kyagulanyi cautioned.

Kyagulanyi emphasized that food insecurity among students not only hampers their academic performance but could also lead to social unrest.

To offer immediate relief, NUP provided a meal to the students and distributed food packages containing 5kg of rice and several kilograms of posho to each student.

Shamim Nambasa, a former Makerere University guild president, highlighted the persistence of this issue, saying, "This situation is no different from what we went through years ago."

She urged the university administration to take urgent steps to alleviate student hardships.

The crisis extends beyond those gathered at NUP headquarters; estimates suggest that over 4,000 government-sponsored students have gone without allowances for up to three months.

Many students are now appealing to the wider community, hoping that more well-wishers will step in to help.

In a letter dated October 28, Makerere University's Dean of Students, Mr. Wilfred Kabumbuli, acknowledged the delays in allowance payments and confirmed that some funds remain outstanding.

However, Mr. Kabumbuli did not specify the amounts disbursed so far or the total balance owed, leaving students uncertain about when they might receive their remaining funds.