Vocal Kawempe South Member of Parliament Mubarak Munyagwa and Councillor Muhammad Ssegirinya have been arrested for demonstrating over the closure of Makerere University.
The duo was arrested as they joined opposition kingpin Dr Kizza Besigye and the ‘Friends of Makerere’, a group led by former Makerere Guild Presidents, to raise the Shs28 billion owed to the lecturers, who went on strike about a month ago.
Among others arrested are Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) head of mobilization Ingrid Turinawe and Councillor Doreen Nyanjura.
The arrests come just two days to the 10-day ultimatum issued by the FDC to the government, to have the university re-opened.
The university was closed following strikes by the lecturers and students, with the former protesting non-payment of their salary incentives amounting to Shs28 billion, while the latter complained about not being taught.
On the orders of President Yoweri Museveni, Makerere University was closed about a month ago, and later appointed a ‘Visitation Committee’ led by Dr Abel Rwendeire to investigate the woes bedeviling Uganda’s oldest institution of higher learning.
The Rwendeire committee then advised the appointing authority to re-open the university to allow them perform their task but since then different government officials have given varying accounts regarding its re-opening.
For instance, about three weeks ago the State Minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo said the university would re-open in February 2017, while yesterday the Kampala Minister Beti Olive Kamya said President Museveni was ready to re-open the university if the lecturers call off strike and resume teaching.
