Students From Uganda Fail To Get University Admission
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The High Education Council (HEC) did not secure university admission promised to students from Uganda as it had committed.
As a result some of the university students whose story The Chronicles published on March 18, as the Rwanda-Uganda standoff unfolded, have sneaked back to continue school.
Government of Rwanda issued ‘travel advisory’ for Rwandans not to travel to Uganda, explaining that it cannot guarantee their security when they get there.
By the time border security began turning back Rwandans, many students studying in Ugandan schools were still at home. Some managed to cross back. Four of them told The Chronicles they couldn’t.
READ: Universities in Rwanda Ask Final Year Students From Uganda to Start Afresh
Local Government Minister Prof Anastase Shyaka and HEC Director General Dr Emmanuel Muvunyi said at the time that all affected students would be enrolled here. Dr Muvunyi particularly told The Chronicles that the students should go to his office.
Indeed, four students showed up at his office in May. They left their details with Dr Muvunyi who also he would engage Rwanda’s High Commission in Uganda and Ugandan education officials to solve the issue of Rwandan students.
We have since established that a total of seven university students were affected.
By press time, two of the students confirmed that when they saw no progress, they sneaked back to Uganda. Rwandans are using the Tanzania route to to Uganda.
Deo Nahimana and Espoir Nsengiyumva, two of those remaining, told us that officials at HEC were unhelpful. Dr Muvunyi did not answer their multiple phone calls and SMS.
We did also call him several times. When we sent SMS explaining the plight of the students, Dr Muvunyi wrote back: “Can you please ask them to come to HEC so that we can support them.”
Informed that the students were unable to get help from his agency, and that he was not answering phone calls, he said: “Ask them to text me their [telephone] number so I can call them myself”.
As situation stands currently, the students are at home unable to continue school, yet they had paid tuition in Uganda. The academic year ends next month.
