Makerere University has asked all first-year students to report on 29th January with laptops as essential tools to help them with their studies.
The directive, which started as a suggestion in 2020 has gathered comments from several Ugandans who took to social media to air out their views.
Some Ugandans believe that many parents cannot afford to buy laptops while others argue that the gadgets are cheaper compared to the money Makerere students spend on printing handouts and photocopying educational materials.
It should be noted that following the outbreak of COVID-19, several institutions of higher learning switched to online lectures which later became a challenge for students with no laptops and other gadgets. Makerere University based on these challenges among other reasons to order all freshers to report with laptops.
In 2020, Makerere University Vice-Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe revealed that students would get subsidized laptops for online studies with the help of a “giant tech company”. Nawangwe did not reveal the name of the company but according to current developments, the university is not concerned about how, where, and how much students get laptops as long as they report on campus with the mentioned gadgets.
This directive has however not been welcomed by a section of students and parents.
