The Woman Member of Parliament of Pader district in Northern Uganda, Judith Akello has urged Uganda government to give higher priority to students from Northern Uganda in accessing the government loan scheme for students joining university to help them achieve university education.

She says giving higher priority to Northern Uganda students will to help them recover from the effects of the Northern Uganda Lords Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency.

Uganda’s over 20 year Northern Uganda LRA insurgency displaced millions of people, claimed the lives of tens of thousands and general insecurity in the region. The insurgency also affected the education system because many children could not attend school due to poverty, fear of abductions and lack of education infrastructure.

Makerere University

In 2009, the Uganda Ministry of Education announced a loan scheme for university students who can’t afford University Education which analysts believe will help improve access to university education by Uganda poor students if well managed.

Akello told Uganda Parliament that as a result of the LRA insurgency which destroyed the education and economic infrastructure, many students from Northern Uganda remain out of school.

University Education in Uganda remains highly unaffordable because of poverty and high tuition charges by universities.

Northern Uganda is now on the recovery path after the LRA shifted their bases to Northern DR Congo and Central African Republic. The government of Uganda and donors are investing lots of money to help rebuild the lives of the people by setting up basic infrastructure like building roads and schools through programmes like the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund.

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By Zacharia Tiberindwa, Ultimate Media