Pres. Mutharika Order UNIMA Tuition Fees Reduction By K50,000

President Peter Mutharika has ordered University of Malawi to reduce the tuition fees by K50,000 after meeting with the University of Malawi Students Union (UMSU) at Kamuzu Palace on Thursday.

This is across the board reduction for all students on generic and mature programs at the University. For generic students paying the minimum fees this means a 12.5% reduction while for mature students paying minimum ranges of fees this is a 5.4 % reduction.

The reduction is not UMSU expectation of the reduction less than K300,000 for generic students while K600,000 for mature students. it is still not known if the students will continue putting on the fight.

University Council of Malawi announced the new fees ranging from K400, 000 to K600, 000 which is an upward adjustment from K55, 000/K275, 000.00 per academic year. For Mature entry students, the fees range from K900, 000 to K1, 400, 000.

The Council rationale for raising the fees is primarily based on considerations of maintaining academic quality. However, University of Malawi Student Union (UMSU) protested that the adjusted fee would lead to massive withdrawals of students.

As President was announcing the reduction some concerned Malawians were on the streets opposing the threshold of increment which they described as “unbearable and blind to the prevailing socio-economic conditions of the majority of Malawians.”

Kabwila was in attendance at the demonstrations

“We view the fee hike as blatantly unreasonable, ill-timed, unmanageable and restrictive to the poor.” Said human rights activist, Timothy Mtambo, executive director for Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation when reading the petition addressed to the Malawi President Peter Mutharika

Bamusi and Kalizang'oma

Kalizang'oma

The petitioners among them University of Malawi students, civil society organisations leaders, activists Billy Mayaya and legislator Jessie Kabwila delivered the petition to the Chief Education Officer for Higher Education, Rose Kalizang'oma who was accompanied by Presidential Advisor on NGO’s Mr. Mabvuto Bamusi.

The petition highlighted that Malawians are facing economic challenges including acute food shortage that has affected the country for two consecutive years now where this year up to 6.5 million Malawians are expected to face hunger.

“We wish to state that the fee hike does not portend well for most students who hitherto were already struggling to raise K275, 000 with reports from the press revealing many have already dropped out. Furthermore, it has been contended that despite the existence of the loan board, many eligible students have been turned away. As the reports show, the University of Malawi Office has from time to time continued to issue support letters to needy students asking for well-wishers to bail them out. We, therefore, find this upward revision of tuition fees unrealistic, regrettable, and reflective of an inconsiderate and exploitative mindset of both Government and the University Council.” Reads the petition 

The petition strongly hold that education is not only a human right in itself but an indispensable means of realizing other human rights, “It is a powerful instrument for breaking inter-generational poverty and for bridging inequality.”

The petition further requested reopening of the Chancellor College following running battle between police students who held demonstrations against the increment.