Students Told to Return for Juba University Lectures

(JUBA) – Lectures for the University of Juba’s Digital Agriculture Programme will resume on Thursday, 8th October 2026, the University Administration has announced.

The resumption follows months of disruption that exposed serious financial problems at South Sudan’s oldest public university.

The university has struggled with repeated interruptions to its academic calendar. Eye Radio reported in March 2026 that public university lecturers had not been paid salaries for eight months .

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, Professor John Akech, confirmed the unpaid arrears. Lecturers later postponed a planned strike over the unpaid money .

A lawmaker has blamed chronic underfunding for the crisis. Hon. Zacharia Matur Makuer, a member of the Specialized Committee on Higher Education and Technology in the National Legislative Assembly, said the lack of state support is forcing public universities to operate like private businesses .

“Our public universities were not made to be run like private universities,” Hon. Makuer said on Eye Radio’s Sundown programme in February 2026. “They are government institutions, and the government should take full charge of funding” .

The lawmaker blamed the Ministry of Finance for failing to meet its obligations. He said this has left university administrations with no choice but to shift the financial burden onto students.

In February 2026, the university cancelled examinations after students protested over tuition fees. Images circulated online showed a standoff at the campus gates .

Professor Akech later clarified that while tuition clearance was required for examination eligibility, no student was denied the opportunity to sit for their papers. The university introduced a system of “undertakings” for students with outstanding balances .

“We found a significant number of students had either paid nothing or only half of the installment,” Professor Akech said. “They were sorted out and signed an undertaking that they will pay” .

The Vice Chancellor said the buildup of students at the Customs Campus was caused by slow administrative processing of the forms, not security tension.

Professor Akech stressed that the university relies almost completely on student fees to operate. He said the money is needed for infrastructure, maintenance, and lecturer incentives.

“We need this money to be able to operate; it is the only thing we depend on,” he said .

Students have also called on the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to clear the outstanding salary arrears owed to lecturers. Juba Echo reported that students made the appeal on a Wednesday, citing concerns about the impact of the strike on their education .

Separately, students at the University of Juba have urged the administration to ban firearms on campus. Students say there are no consistent checks at campus gates, allowing armed individuals to enter freely.

The University Administration has advised all students enrolled in the Digital Agriculture Programme to report and attend their scheduled lectures as required.

Students are encouraged to contact the relevant academic unit for information about the lecture timetable and related arrangements. The administration thanked all students and staff for their cooperation in a circular published on Wednesday 7th October 2026.