Ghost students, fraudsters haunt Kyambogo University

KAMPALA: Kyambogo University management has set dates of February 19 and 20 for the 10th graduation ceremony amidst growing revelations of student “mafias” and fraudsters comprising the finalists’ list.

Daily Monitor has learnt management has been shocked by the number of such ghost students who have been unearthed by a Verification Committee instituted last month to, among others, examine student’ fees collections and the number of expected graduates per faculty in the academic year 2010-2013.

University Spokesman, Lawrence Madete, however said yesterday it is still premature to arrive at student’ numbers in the category.

But, “at least the committee has uncovered two things; that there are several students who are not genuine students of Kyambogo but rather fluked and now want degrees, and in another scenario students shared admission numbers with others deliberately to bypass fulfilling their financial obligations.”

He, further, noted the committee is still conducting the fees examination and all students who are confident they paid [in full and were genuinely admitted] are obliged to validate their details or risk missing out on graduation.

A total of 9000 students were supposed to graduate last year but the ceremony was deferred after a staff strike protesting the return of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaiah Ndiege, altered the academic calendar and programmes.

The scam

Management had set fees collection targets of Shs40.5 billion from payments of the finalists but towards the initial graduation dates only Shs19.8 billion was reflected on the accounts.

The monies Shs 20.6 billion was lost in 10 faculties but officials believe it was in the making of the bigger grand fees scam (uncovered last year) peddled by students, some university staff and bank tellers-yet on the loose.

Prof. Ndiege, who had been away on “forced leave” for a year told this newspaper earlier on, “the work of the committee is to leave no stone unturned and establish the problem origin.”

Several students have been faulted and urged to “repay” full fees, but with all bank statements claim they fulfilled their financial obligations and “this would mean double payment.”

An official on conditions of anonymity said: “Many students have full bank statements indicating payments but are not reflected in the university system, a problem management is stuck with.”

The University last year admitted loosing Shs10billion in revenues and at least ShsShs5.5billion in stolen fees for continuing students in the period between management wrangles.

Side bar

The Faculty of  Science and Management which was expected to collect Shs3.5 billion  from 786 students , only Shs1.7 billion is accountable for while  Shs3.2 billion which was expected from Faculty of Engineering  only 1.3 billion was realized .The faculty of Art and Social Sciences fetched only  Shs 5billion against  Shs11.6 billion which had been projected .