Makerere University has postponed its 71st graduation ceremony to May 17 to avoid clashing with President Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony.
This is the second time the university is postponing the graduation.
It was slated to conduct the graduation on March 16 to 19, but the university Senate postponed it to May 10 to 14 because some marks for students were not ready, among other inconsistencies.
“We had set May 10 to 14 but that date falls on the week when the President will be swearing in, so the council has advised that we do it a week after, which will be May 17,” Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor, told Daily Monitor yesterday.
The university will graduate more than 12,000 students whom Prof Nawangwe said few will physically attend the function due to Covid-19 restrictions while others will attend online.
Mr Museveni, who was re-elected for the 7th term in January is slated to be sworn in between May 10 and 13.
Members of Parliament will also be sworn in the same month.
Prof Nawangwe yesterday said the university contract committee has also started the process of contracting a new gowns supplier ahead of the graduation ceremony.
“The procurement of the new supplier of gowns is going on and I believe the gowns will be ready before May and students will be able to buy them from approved suppliers. The process of procurement will be completed very soon by the contract committee so there is nothing to worry about,” Prof Nawangwe said.
Prior to the last year’s graduation ceremony, Makerere failed to secure gowns for graduands, seven days to the ceremony.
It accused the supplier, who was said to be withholding the gowns until his balance is cleared, of messing up the event.
The institution in December 2015 contracted a company to supply branded graduation gowns for three years.
It has been charging students Shs98,000 for the wear.
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Daily Monitor