By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa/Umoja Standard.
Kampala, Uganda: Negotiations between Ugandan Government and South Sudanese Embassy in Kampala have culminated into waiver of student pass putting an end to $100 that have been incurred annually for this service by S. Sudanese students.
Ugandan education institutions have been charging every South Sudan national over three hundred thousand shillings annually, a move that is contrary to the East African Common Market protocol that allows free movement of persons within the region.
The former has been a great stumbling block to many students from S. Sudan who have been seeking education in Ugandan Secondary, Tertiary/University institutions as some of them have not been able to enrol as a result.
Currently, South Sudanese students in Uganda are approximately 10,000 and this development will undoubtedly spur an increase in the influx of more of them, as well, this becomes a wonderful move to those already enrolled here.
South Sudan students in Uganda/Courtesy Photo.
Speaking to Journalists on Sunday at Embassy Headquarters in Kampala, H.E Simon Juach Deng, the South Sudan Ambassador to Uganda revealed that the development was reached at after negotiations with Ugandan Foreign Affairs Ministry officials having presented the challenges S.Sudan students go through to attain education in Uganda, student pass being the major one.
H.E Deng expressed that ‘the disadvantage with the student pass has been that, students have been failing to enrol for studies in Uganda even when they have school fees’ which they have now worked upon successfully.
Diplomat Juach stated that, the Mission’s Education department will write to all education institutions as well, the Government of Uganda is expected to issue a declaration regarding this development.
The exemption of student pass effected on 6th/September/2023.
According to East African Education protocol, Student Passes for East Africa Community nationals are issued at NO COST, but these (S. Sudanese) were charged as International students. The big point to note here is that of all East African Community member states, only students from S.Sudan have been incurring this charge but it has now been harmonised in accordance to EAC Free Movement Guidelines.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Simon Mundeyi says, the development follows S. Sudanese completion of becoming a full member of the East African Community.
Mundeyi said on Monday, that in the same way, Ugandan students to South Sudan are not required top pay for visas, to join other countries including Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania whose students don’t require visas to study in Uganda.
On the other hand, this will continuously strengthen South Sudanese bilateral relationship with Uganda as the two coutries carry out trade amongst themselves in addition to matters of regional security.