INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AT THE UJ RESIDENCE LEADS TO DEPARTURE OF SOME STUDENTS
Since the beginning of the year, students have been complaining about the maintenance issues at the residence, which include not having water and unstable WiFi, which makes it hard to get any work done.
It is claimed that this has been an ongoing issue and it gets reported but there seems to be no change at all.
"It is extremely difficult to work here at res because the WiFi is unstable, I cannot even attempt a quiz without it disconnecting", said the third-year BSc student, Zukhanye.
"It is frustrating because sometimes I want to work in my room but I am forced to go to the library just to find a stable connection", added Zukhanye.
It is alleged that the House Committee members, specifically the chairperson and deputy chairperson always hear from the residents what the issues are and they report them to the house manager, as a way to escalate any issues the house may have but even so, the problems are not attended to quickly.
Some students have reported blinds being broken in their rooms, cupboard doors being broken, and windows that broke but they are still not fixed.
This brings much frustration to the students because they were promised a good stay, one that reflects a conducive learning environment but the neverending issues are making it difficult.
"I am deeply concerned with how things will turn out because all I can do is report and after that, there simply is nothing I can, that is as far as my position is", said the chairperson of Karibu-Jamii, Hazel.
“We are also students and people expect us to fix everything when they report issues not understanding that we take reports to management and as soon as they are out of our hands there is absolutely nothing we can do”, Hazel went on to say.
“I try my best to communicate with management to get them to escalate reports and fix anything that needs fixing”, said the residence manager, Caroline Stevens.
“In as much as the student’s complaints and grievances are valid, we are aware of the problems that are affecting them and doing the best we can to fix them”, Ms Stevens added.
It is alleged that in 2021 the House Committee then attempted to start a hashtag on Twitter as a way to get attention from relevant divisions because sending emails and reports did not help in any way.
The attempt to do so failed as in 2023 the issues are continuing, which does not demonstrate any change, leaving the management in question as to whether they have the student’s best interest at heart if they fail to deliver on basic needs.
Karibu-Jamii is known for being one of the most prominent academic residences with outstanding marks from the students and successful alumni.
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