KCN students give Mutharika 5 day ultimatum
Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) students have given President Peter Mutharika five days to respond to their demands on reversing the fees hike that University of Malawi (Unima) Council has effected.
KCN is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Malawi whose Chancellor is president Mutharika.
The students in Blantyre marched and presented their petition at the Blantyre District Commissioner’s office while those from Lilongwe presented it at it at the Lilongwe District Commissioner’s office.
The students have called on Mutharika to intervene in what they call “an unfathomably disgusting move” to raise fees when the income status for most Malawian families is in bad shape.
KCN Students Union President, Gift Band, in an interview said;
“We are afraid that if the fees hike is not reversed then many students will withdraw because they cannot afford and Malawi will suffer. It means university corridors will only be walked through by the rich . . . that is why we are crying for the Chancellor to come in and assist us.”
The KCN students, who came in their large number, sang in harmony saying the fees hike must be brought down because they are too poor to afford it.
The Petition, read by Banda, stated, “Our economy has for long now been in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Many Malawians are surviving perhaps the most turbulent economic times, with the lowest of incomes per individual families ever thought of.”
The students believe if nothing is done by the President then Unima will continue experiencing indefinite closures of colleges which they say should not be the case.
District Commissioner for Blantyre, Charles Kalemba, who received the petition, applauded KCN for their peaceful march saying, “I commend you for carrying out this peaceful march because as Malawians we are known for peace.
He promised that his office would do its best to work with speed and urgency so that the petition should be delivered to the president by the end of business on today
The delivering of the petition comes after six KCN students from Blantyre campus and seven from Lilongwe were arrested during demonstrations on Monday but were granted bail the same day.
