The Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon. Anita Among is seeking answers from government over funding extended to the students’ Loan Scheme.
“We need to help these students and that is why we are here. We are the voice of the voiceless so we should speak for them. We should make sure they do exams and we will expect a report on this matter,” Among said.
She made the directive following media reports on the challenges affecting students in higher institutions of learning, including failure to sit for exams due to non-payment of tuition as a result of delayed disbarment of loans.
The scheme is implemented by the Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) established in February, 2014 by an Act of Parliament with a mandate to provide loans and scholarships to Ugandan students to pursue higher education.
Responding to this however, the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja said her office is going to expeditiously present a comprehensive report on the progress of financing of the Loan Scheme.
The Leader of Government business said there was overwhelming demand from students seeking to access the loans and went ahead to commit that the education ministry would also present the report as guided by the House.
In her reply however, the Speaker, who chaired the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 23 November 2022, directed that the report should also address matters of equity in access to the loan scheme.
Meanwhile, the submission came after Hon. Boniface Okot the NRM, Youth Representative in Northern Uganda on Tuesday, 22 November 2022 raised a complaint about delayed disbursement of funds by the Ministry of Education and Sports to the scheme.
Okot noted that in the 2022 academic year, the delay rendered all financially incapable students unable to register with their respective universities and they risked not writing their exams.
“The ministry should also explain how they will guarantee equity in the students’ loan and subsequently table names of beneficiaries to this House,” Okot submitted.