Ugandan High Court has adjourned the hearing on the case of South Sudanese students who were denied graduation at the Kampala University main campus last month to August 17th next month.
In June last month, about 300 South Sudanese students missed their graduation after Badru Dungu Kateregga, the Kampala-based Vice-Chancellor abruptly notified them he had closed the Juba branch. As result students protested by saying that they had paid their tuition for years at the controversial Kampala University of South Sudan.
The tuition was allegedly channeled via the University’s account at the Number One Charter Bank in Uganda.
However, the court presided over by Judge Wamala Boniface Monday held a first hearing over the case.
One of the affected students, Guot Guot Akol, who had presented the students’ petition to the court confirmed that students who manage to re-travel back to Uganda gathered at South Sudan Embassy in Uganda.
“As you all know the court distance is walkable. the Vice Chancellor’s unnamed lawyer tried to obstruct the court alleging that he was not authorized to represent the students, but the Judge refuted his claims. Our lawyer asked whether one can represent the students including those 900 who are absent. The judge responded and said one person can represent thousands of students.
He added that the lawyers will be ready in four days to file the rest of the cases and the judge said he will give the two parties up to the 15th of next month to submit their arguments to his office. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on the 17th of August.
