The People Power Movement leader and Kyandondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, and Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Betty Aol Ocan, have accused soldiers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) for allegedly battering Makerere University students yesterday as they tried to hold a peaceful demonstration over 15 percent tuition increment.
“Instead of protecting their constitutional right to protest peacefully, the military was called in. Students, especially ladies, were roughed up and arrested. Others were brutalised and taken to jail. Information coming in shows that some are being dismissed from the University, while others have been given warning letters,” Bobi Wine wrote.
He commended the courage of female students to hold the demonstration. “I must salute the courage of these young women. It gives me great pleasure to see women rise up to speak for social justice. This is evidence that our struggle has come of age- dictatorship and bad governance are in trouble,” he said.
“In the same manner, I condemn the violent crackdown of a peaceful demonstration by unarmed students who are only expressing their frustration with an unfair and oppressive policy. It is not a crime to peacefully demonstrate! It is a right! Our struggle is about restoring fundamental human rights, as well as ensuring social justice for all citizens.”
Commenting on the demo, Aol said: Makerere University’s female students led a peaceful protest against tuition increment at the University. This is a positive manifestation towards women appreciating that policies in public institutions directly affect their lives and thus they must play an active role in advocacy and questioning of policies that they deem oppressive.”
She said peaceful demonstrations do not call for arrests and ‘the images of the military confronting the harmless students only armed with Manilla cards is signal of a failed State and I condemn such in the strongest terms possible.’
She said Makerere University should instead provide a benchmark for the enjoyment of the fundamental Freedom of Expression to not only Uganda, but to the region at large.
Meanwhile the university is reported to have suspended two students for protesting the tuition increment.
The vice chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe said that two students had been suspended for allegedly inciting violence.
At least 20 students were Tuesday arrested for attempting to march to the office of the president to present a petition to President Museveni to have the 15 percent cumulative policy scrapped on grounds that it was unfair to privately sponsored students.
The students were, however, released Tuesday evening on police bond.
He named the two as Mollie Siperia (the Guild Representative Councillor for School of psychology and one Frank Bwambale.
Warning letters were issued to several other students who had allegedly engaged in yesterday’s protest.
The soldiers are still stationed at the university as lectures have been suspended.
