DRESSING CODE LAW AT MUK, WHAT A JOKE!

By Peter Mutebi M.

Makerere University and Ugandan government law enforcer institutions have no difference. It’s like a father and son the only gap is, they operate in different spheres. Both believe in theories than practicals, you can compare them to false preachers who don’t mean what they say/ preach to the congregation.

Way back our Ugandan traffic Police introduced and enforced the issue of having and using seat belts in cars, public transport and speed governors in buses. This was fine, since it aimed at saving the public from dying in accidents, which were on increase.

However, it did not take even a week in place, and now it is as if the Police have never introduced any law to save people from the accidents, in less than a year, buses are still speeding and making terrible accidents. Leaving a lot questioned, for instance, where did the issue of speed governors stopped? Do these ever increasing coaches install them? What about tightening the issue of seating belts and so many other queries.

This predicament of laxity has not stopped with law enforcer institutions such as Police; it has stretched into government higher learning institutions. They pass laws and regulations governing their operational environment with out first laying good strategies on how these conventions are going to work.

Out of know where, Makerere University proposed and passed the law about dressing code at Campus in a bid to eradicate sexual harassments caused to ‘lecturers’, students and staff workers. This was first heard in Mukono Christian University where they effectively abolished indecent dressing; girls putting on tight trousers, mini-skirts, half browses (tops) famously known as “Kundi shows” and any provocative dressing.

According to MUK administration, students are not allowed to put on provocative wear (indecent dressing) as mentioned in above paragraph. Should outside world assume that MUK is now following (copying) other upcoming Universities in setting policies? Does this grant credibility to policy makers or subtracting even the little they initially had?

Come to think of it, how does MUK determines and categorizes indecency dressing? To Muslims, they consider covering yourself from head to toe as a decent dressing. Culturally, Baganda believes in ‘gomesi, Kanzus’ and busuit as an appropriate dressing code, this means diversely, people from different cultures and religions dress differently.

This explains how policy makers in MUK are messing up some would be good policies. This can be a good step which aims to aid both students and lecturers to concentrate on their studies, however, it is not well baked and cooked for both parties to understand how it works, its strengths and weaknesses.

They needed to first sanitize stakeholders about this policy to create conducive environment to understand, receive and appreciate it. Through using notice boards, flyers, and circulars, students are in position to know what is on ground and how they can go about dynamics.

This policy applies only in lecture rooms meaning, outside lectures you’re free to be half naked or completely naked! ‘Strange’, how can the whole University fail to get ways of getting a policy covering students even out side Lectures.

Dressing code law intends to cover up mostly lecturers and male students who are the victims of indecency dressing from ladies. The way ladies dress turns on lecturers and male students and as a result they end up shifting their attention from studies to these chicks hence they indulge in sexual sessions or getting harassed sexually.

According to Guild information Minister Onesimus Twinamasiko, commities were set up in every department to implement this policy, but how these departments are going to enforce this? Are students aware of whom to enforce the policy? It is on record that some departments are suffering severe laxity, if marking exams in time troubles them what about dealing with these complex and obstinate students.

Students who fail to comply with this policy will receive first a warning verbally, then a written document for a second warning and later suspension in case of persistent. There is kind of crack in these remedies, I don’t think suspension can jolt stubbornly brought up students, this exposes more the weaknesses of this policy and how poorly it was packed and passed.

I don’t think this policy is going to impact on the intended parties its just a joke! It is going to be added to collapsed policies written in the books of records at MUK and other government institutions such as Ugandan Police.

No wonder, the information minister did admit challenges being faced before even this policy applies to students though the University council approved it. It is spearheaded by Vice Chancellor, who heads a committee, which is fighting sexual harassment in the university, does VC have enough time to follow up this matter? let us give it a floor.

But, as we keep our eyes and ears open, we can still ask ourselves that, is this policy going to make it like Mukono University did? Let us keep waiting and through this space everything will be revealed.