Eight students of Kyambogo University have been charged for inciting violence in students which led to strike.
The students were arrested by the territorial police of Jinja Road Police Station when they were leading the strike that occurred at Kyambogo this Wednesday morning.
The students include; John Mbazira the Guild President, his Vice Claire Namara, Eriasa Kato, Bright Kasozi ,Alphonse Nkurunziza, Ivan Malingumu, Geoffrey Ssali and Calvin Waiswa
Asp Luke Owoyesigyire the deputy spokesperson of Kampala metropolitan in a statement, said that students decided to go on strike mobilised by their student guild leaders.
Adding that the students wanted online learning, a system the top university management has decided to keep students on, stopped. Students allege that the system is very expensive for them since it requires gadgets. They also asked for extension of the semester.
“The students became unruly, but we have dispersed them and brought the situation under control” He adds.
Owoyesigyire says that students have been charged with inciting violence and are detained at Jinja Road Police Station as investigations continue.
In a phone interview, Professor Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya, the Vice Chancellor of the university said that Open Distance and e-learning system-ODel, that the students are protesting against is recommended by the Government of Uganda as one way of avoiding crowding of students in the university.
Professor said that students who claim they cannot manage the system because of lack of smart phones, they should know that it is not the role of the university to provide phones for them.
“Students should look for all means possible to make sure that they learn online because the COVID-19 situation is worsening and we cannot keep students meeting physically” adds Vice Chancellor Katunguka.
Professor Katunguka suspended physical classes and ordered for online learning following a spike in COVID-19 disease at the university. This was after the university registered eight cases of covid19 with six being students and two administrative staff.
