Mutharika reduces UNIMA fees by MK50,000

President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has bowed down to the pressure and has reduced the fees in all public Universities by MK50,000.

Mutharika made the declaration on Thursday at Kamuzu Palace in the capital Lilongwe when he held a meeting with University of Malawi (UNIMA) students union leaders.

On Monday this week, UMSU leaders wrote Mutharika seeking an audience with him on the University fee hike saga which saw students from Chancellor College, Polytechnic, Kamuzu College of Nursing going into the street to protest.

Speaking during the meeting, Mutharika told the students that the University Council raised the fees to uplift the dwindling quality of education in the country.

Mutharika said the minimum cost¬ of training one student in public universities is K2.5 million per year, and the maximum is K5.5 million¬.

“I am glad that the students chose dialogue for us to find a balanced solution. But I also know that there are some who want to use fees as an excuse for their own politics.

“The meeting has been fruitful in that we have made several resolutions; some of them being that the proposed fees structures be reduced by K50,000 across the board,” said Mutharika.

He added: “I have committed to talk to the council to effect an immediate re-opening of Chancellor College so that the academic calendar should not be interrupted.”

Mutharika said the Ministry of Finance will make available K1.1 billion to the University Council to cover for the loss of income incurred due to the reduction in the tuition fees.

Meanwhile the reduction has shocked many Malawians with others accusing Mutharika of bribing some of UMSU leaders.