Kampala – Mbale City Industrial Division Member of Parliament Karim Masaba has called on Makerere University to strengthen measures aimed at preventing and addressing sexual harassment, particularly cases affecting female students, as concerns over students’ safety and welfare receive parliamentary attention.
Masaba, who represents Industrial Division in Mbale City, made the call during an engagement between the Committee on Public Accounts (Central Government) and Makerere University officials at the university’s main campus in Kampala. The university delegation was led by University Secretary Yusuf Kiranda.
During the meeting, Masaba and other committee members raised concerns about the protection and safety of female students, particularly reports of sexual harassment in its various forms within the institution.
The legislator emphasised the need for Makerere University to strengthen its policies and institutional mechanisms for preventing harassment, receiving complaints, investigating reported cases and ensuring appropriate action is taken against those found responsible.
Masaba stressed that effective protection requires more than policies on paper, urging university management to ensure that the existing mechanisms work in practice and provide students with safe and accessible channels for reporting misconduct.
He also highlighted the importance of protecting students who report harassment from intimidation, discrimination or retaliation, noting that learners should be able to pursue their academic goals without fear of abuse or mistreatment.
The committee called for a safe and supportive learning environment in which every student, particularly female students, can access education with dignity, confidence and equal opportunities.
The engagement also placed emphasis on the responsibility of university management to address reported cases through effective institutional procedures, strengthen accountability and ensure that students understand how to seek assistance when their safety or rights are threatened.
Masaba’s intervention underscores the importance of parliamentary oversight in promoting accountability within public institutions and ensuring that universities uphold the welfare, dignity and rights of students.
The committee’s engagement with Makerere University reflects the need for continued attention to institutional safeguards, with Masaba urging stronger preventive and response mechanisms to help ensure that the university remains a safe environment for learning.
