Makerere reschedules exams to commemorate Janani Luwum day

Makerere University has postponed 42 examinations scheduled for Thursday this week to mark Janani Luwum Day.

Government gazetted February 16 as a public holiday in memory of the life and works of Archbishop Janani Jakaliya Luwum, of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire, who was killed in February 1977.

In a February 9 circular released by Alfred Masikye Namoah, the Makerere University Academic Registrar, all examinations scheduled for Thursday this week have been postponed until Monday February 20.

"Thursday 16th of February, 2017 will be a Public Holiday in memory of the Late Archbishop Janani Luwum. The examinations which had been scheduled to take place on Thursday 16th February, 2017 have been postponed to Monday 20th February, 2017 at the same venues and time," said Masikye.

Abaasi Kizito, the students Guild Information Minister said they had received the communication on postponing of the paper earlier today and as students' leaders they had not taken a position to it.

"We have not yet pronounced ourselves on this issue since the guild has not sat. But as you can see this is an inconvenience. It disorganises us because people had different programmes and we have a short break."

Owen Natukunda, a third year student of Social Sciences blamed the university for not having planned for it earlier.

"You cannot tell me that the Academic Registrar has just known it today that on Thursday 16th was a public holiday. This is some sort of disorganisation by our administrators and it is inconveniencing."

Natukunda wondered why the administrators did not let students do examinations even on a public holiday since the university is operating under abnormal circumstances. The end of semester one examinations are usually done between November 30 and December 20, but a two-month closure of the university caused the postponement to February.

Three years ago, President Yoweri Museveni declared February 16 'Janani Luwum Day' for people to celebrate his life.

Luwum is the second African Archbishop of the Province of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga Zaire and the second Bishop of Kampala Diocese, 1974-1977.

-URN