The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party office has been accused of luring vulnerable Ugandan students into a fake scholarship scheme for studies in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This revelation was made by Igara West Constituency Member of Parliament, Gaffa Mbwatekamwa, during a plenary session on Wednesday.
He explained that the scheme was allegedly coordinated through the Office of the National Chairman of the NRM Party in Kyambogo. “Over 100 students were enticed into applying for fully funded study opportunities but discovered that the courses they applied for were nonexistent upon arrival in Iran.
Additionally, each student was required to pay US$ 800, approximately 2.9 million Shillings for travel expenses,” he said.
According to Mbwatekamwa, on October 10, 2023, the Office of the NRM National Chairman in Kyambogo advertised scholarships for various courses in Iran. One hundred students were taken with promises that the scholarship would cover all costs. However, upon arrival, they found that the courses did not exist. Mbwatekamwa further alleged that some students were forced onto the streets, with some girls turning to prostitution.
His submission was corroborated by Abed Bwanika, the Kimaanya-Kabonera Division MP in Masaka City, who confirmed the students’ plight, citing a relative who fell victim to the same scheme.
“One of my relatives was taken to Iran by the same office to study veterinary medicine, only to be stranded without transport back home. We just evacuated him. This is a serious matter and must be investigated,” said Bwanika.
Meanwhile, Muwada Nkunyingi, the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Kyadondo East legislator, urged the government to address the diplomatic representation gaps in Iran following the death of former Ugandan Ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Kisambira, in August 2023.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, who chaired the plenary, tasked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Haji Abubaker Jeje Odongo, to respond to the matter. The Minister stated that the allegations were new to him but promised to investigate and provide a detailed statement by the end of the week.
Gen. Odongo also noted that gaps in diplomatic representation existed not only in Iran but also in three other missions, including Kenya, since the death of Ambassador Hassan Wasswa Galiwango in January 2023.
This is not the first time Ugandan students have found themselves in such awkward circumstances, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
