“Management agreed that in view of the financial constraints, external examinations should be deferred until management provides further guidance,” the letter reads in part.

However, the changes will only affect department who have been receiving professors from other Universities and not affect graduate students who who are required to sit an external examination before graduation.

“The university has been spending a lot of money in air tickets to fly in professors from outside the country to come to Makerere to do quality assurance. We are suspending it for this financial year,” the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof Umar Kakumba told Daily Monitor.

Dr Edward Mvavu, the deputy chairperson of Makerere University Academic Staff, emphasises tht suspending external examiners will cause more harm than good.

“Suspending external examiners is suicidal. The university should have suspended leadership allowance given to top managers rather than suspending external examiners,” Dr Mvavu said.