Parents, Public Concerned Over 2Bn Sent to Students in China

In the recent days, Coronavirus has been the trend as more than 10,000 cases have been confirmed across the world.

Amid all this horror and uncertainity are the Ugandan students who have fallen victims of the time as the virus found them in China seeking university education.

Some of these students are even in the region of Wuhan, which is the epicentre and ground zero of the deadly virus that has already claimed lives of thousands.

Outcries to be evacuated have not been successful as the government of Uganda gave them a deaf ear as regards that topic. The government insists that they’re safer in China and that the Chinese government is better positioned to handle the outbreak.

On Friday 6th March, the Ugandan government finally sent money to these 105 students in Wuhan, China to cater for their upkeep while still in China.

The money that was sent was $600,000 which is approximately 2.2bn Ugandan shillings through the Ugandan embassy in China. These 105 students compose of 65 students on government sponsorship and 40 other students who are on private sponsorship.

According to a statement from the Minister of Health, Dr Ruth Jane Aceng that was presented to parliament earlier on, these students needed about $61,800 which is about Shs 228m.

Some parents plus other people in the public have started accusing people in the government for having plans of embezzling funds after ‘sending’ Shs 2bn yet the students needed 220million.

The money is expected to be split up and put to the different accounts of these students which were submitted a week earlier. Due to national threats the government has no plans of bringing the students back to Uganda yet.