Makerere Graduands Pay for Invitation Cards, Handbook

Makerere University students are parting with yet another 15,000 shillings to to receive invitation cards and graduation book for this year's ceremony.

The two items are required by each graduand to access Freedom Square for the 67th graduation ceremony.

At its day one of the week-long event, several graduands were seen purchasing graduation handbooks and invitation cards.

URN understands that graduation handbooks together with a graduation invitation card are an entitlement to every fully cleared graduand.

However, due to the overwhelming numbers of students at the issuing points at the Senate Building, most of these materials ran out of stock prompting several students to start buying from the vendors around the area.

A URN reporter has learnt that an invitation card, a University graduation handbook together with a graduands car stickers are being sold at between 15,000 and 20,000 shillings.

According to the University official Website, each graduand is allowed one invitation card for two of his/her selected guests. Graduands are required to submit the names of the two guests they wish to invite for the ceremony and thereafter their invitation cards are issued. 

Some of the graduands that URN interviewed seemed desperate after having spent several days coming and being bounced. Some of them told URN that they have nothing to do but buy from the vendors.

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Kabarongo Generous is awaiting graduation on Wednesday. She had just received her invitation card and she recounts.

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Aaron Baguma, one of the former students who is selling tags at the Senate Building told URN that based on his experience, the 67th graduation has been poorly organised compared to the previous ceremonies.

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One of the graduands from the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS) told URN that she has been asked to pay for the invitation card.

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The University authorities started issuing Cards and graduation booklets from the Senate Building on 13th February 2017. 

Makerere recently introduced a customised gown at 75,000 shillings. However, by Monday evening the gown was going at 150,000 shillings.

Yesterday, the deputy vice chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe said the university had produced only 6,000 gowns against a total number of close to 15,000 graduands.

At the end of the four-day ceremony, Makerere University will have graduated a total of 14,895 with diplomas, bachelors, masters and Doctorate degrees.

Of these, 261 will graduate with first class degrees, 1,277 will graduate with masters degrees while 75 will be awarded PhDs.