Kampala, Kenya – The management of Makerere University has banned students and parents from bringing mobile phones to the graduation ceremony, which kicked off today at Kampala’s main campus.
According to a statement by the chairperson of the Ceremonies Committee, Prof Patrick Mangeni, phones and video cameras are highly prohibited from Freedom Square.
Added are dangerous weapons, chemicals, alcohol, Cigarettes, canned foods and drinks, bottled drinks, back bags, lighters, glasses and knives.
“A detailed list of prohibited items has been inserted in the graduation invitation package that is presented to the graduands and invited guests,” Prof Mangeni said in a statement.
He also said that each Graduand is expected to come with only two guests and is expected to come to Freedom Square fully dressed in the Makerere University Graduation Gown and accompanied by only two guests.
Security is expected to be tight, with the university management tasking people to comply with the security checks to ensure a smooth ceremony.
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No reason was given for banning cameras at the graduation square, but other items prohibited from the ceremony include alcohol, cigarettes, canned foods and bottled drinks.
According to the Daily Monitor, a total of 13,221 graduands – of whom 6,809 (52 per cent) are female, and 6,412 (48 per cent) are male – are expected to graduate during the Makerere’s 73rd graduation ceremony, which runs through Friday.
A total of 102 of these are PhD students, 1,378 are master’s students, 108 are postgraduate diplomas, and 35 are undergraduate diplomas.
The graduation ends on Friday with students from colleges of Humanities and Social Sciences, Engineering, Design, Arts and Technology.
President Yoweri Museveni’s wife, Janet Kataha Museveni, is the Minister of Education and is expected to grace the ceremony. University of London Vice Chancellor Prof Wendy Thomson will also attend the ceremony.
