By Henry Okello
TORORO
Studies at the Uganda College of Commerce (UCC) Tororo in Tororo district today 17th March, 2025 came to a standstill as students staged a protest, closing down all campus offices, including those of the principal and bursar.
The students are demanding the immediate removal of the institution’s bursar, Robert Kayanja, over allegations of mismanaging college funds.
Carrying placards, the students accused Kayanja, who has served at the college for 15 years, of misappropriating tuition funds, which has reportedly resulted in some students missing their exams.
“I was forced not to sit for my exams after the bursar misrepresented my tuition. I had cleared all my fees, but when exams came, I was pushed out of the examination room because they claimed I had a balance,” one student lamented.
The students also alleged that a college van, which was bought through their contributions, had mysteriously disappeared. They claim the bursar spearheaded its secret sale without their knowledge.
“What is paining students is that the van was bought through students’ contributions and sold without their knowledge,” said Okello Kizito, the Students’ Guild Speaker.
Escalating their anger, the students claimed that Kayanja had defied a transfer letter from the Ministry of Education, which had reportedly directed him to leave the institute.
UCC Tororo has reportedly seen a decline in student enrolment over the past five years, dropping from over 1,000 students to the current 749. Many students attribute the institution’s challenges to the bursar’s alleged mismanagement.
The protest drew the attention of district leaders, including Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Sadiq Bategana Bakale, his assistant Aidah Kigeni, and District Inspector of Schools Denise Tabu.
After listening to the students’ grievances, the officials held a closed-door meeting with the campus management in an effort to find a resolution.
The RDC and his team resolved that the transferred bursar should immediately report to his new duty station to allow the incoming bursar to take over office. They also invited the Anti-Corruption Unit to audit the institution’s accounts to verify the corruption allegations.
