At least 1000 students drop out of Makerere University annually after losing tuition fees to sports betting, according to Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor of the institution.
Prof Nawangwe made this revelation during the recognition and rewarding ceremony of the 12 best performing graduates of 2024 from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS).
Following concerns about students dropping out due to an inability to pay tuition, Prof Nawangwe stated that research was conducted to ascertain the root causes of these dropouts.
“Our investigations have shown that actually those people were dropping out not because they failed to pay fees. They got fees from their parents and wanted to invest in betting in order to get interest,” Prof Nawangwe explained.
The Vice Chancellor expressed surprise at the fact that some students managed to deceive their parents, bringing them to graduation ceremonies despite never attending lectures.
“They ended up being broke and kept telling their parents stories. And parents don’t hear their names being read in the graduation booklet,” he remarked.
In May 2023, a Makerere University student resorted to extreme measures after reportedly squandering his tuition fees on sports betting. Augustine Ssekajugo, a second-year Dental Surgery student, disappeared and cut off communication with his family and friends. He was later found hiding in Iganga District after an intensive search led by the police.
It was discovered that Ssekajugo had intended to use the rented room as a coaching space, highlighting the misguided priorities of some students.
During the ceremony, Prof Nawangwe also advised graduates against idling in the streets of Kampala under the guise of unemployment. Instead, he urged them to seek opportunities globally, emphasizing the potential shortage of skilled workers in many countries due to declining populations.
The rewarding ceremony was a collaborative effort between Makerere University, the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), and Prudential Uganda. The best graduates were awarded cash prizes, mentorship, graduate training, and scholarships for CPA enrollment.
