Makerere University’s eviction of over 300 businesses on Friday has left business owners and students in distress. The affected businesses, which include restaurants, snack and beverage shops, and stationery stores providing printing and photocopying services, were not informed about the eviction, leading to protests and chaos among students demanding answers from the administration.

Julius Gumisiriza, the chairperson of Makerere University Business Owners Association, expressed concern about the lack of alternatives for students to access the services provided by the evicted businesses. He highlighted that the university’s action affected 338 businesses, impacting the livelihoods of those employed by these establishments.

Despite the business owners’ appeal to the court, the university proceeded with the eviction process without waiting for the final decision. The lack of affordable services provided by these businesses has left students frustrated and inconvenienced.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Vice-Chancellor and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of finance and administration were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

The university’s initiative to remove illegal businesses, which began in July 2022 with eviction notices, faced legal challenges. Although a court issued an interim order in August 2022, temporarily halting the eviction until the case was resolved, the business owners ultimately lost the case, allowing the university to proceed with the eviction in 2023.