Makerere University: Acting Students’ Guild President Condemns Uganda Military’s Attacks and “molestation, Sexual Assault”

Press

[Statement]  

I salute you all Gallant Makerereans for projecting to the world our troubles, worries and solidarity alike.

The students Guild Leadership is glad to inform you that the Guild President was found, though in bad shape but is steadily recovering and we trust that his spirit is firm in our cause and he will join us as soon as he is stable.   We thank all those that have walked down this path with us. The Civil Society, Kiiza and Mugisha Co. Advocates, the Human Rights Defenders Network, ACTV, The Alternative and all others that we may not have identified by name.

We commend the diplomatic community, the US Embassy Kampala, the European Union Delegation to Uganda and all their partners for speaking out against the brutality of the Security forces unleashed onto unarmed students. We authoritatively state that these acts were orchestrated by elements within the University Management, some of whom identified in this document.   On Friday 1st November, 2019 the leadership suspended the Guild Prime Minister, Obbo Johnson Emmanuel from his role as Prime Minister of the Students Guild For Misrepresentation of the Views, Opinions and Position of the leadership in light of our demands to University Authorities. Mugisha Mariam Kyomugisha shall take on the roles of Prime Minister for a meanwhile.  

Late last week, on Wednesday, 30th October, 2019, the University Management published a list of 26 students warned for peacefully demonstrating, and suspended 11 others on its official social media forums. We hope that the same vigor and authoritarianism is extended to Mr. Mulangira Gordon who is the Personal Assistant to Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, and Prof. Hisaali Elia for coordinating the military raid on the university that led to near death of students, molestation, Sexual Assault, the damage of both students and University Property worth millions of Shillings. We will also pursue to it that they are prosecuted and imprisoned for the same.    

While we appreciate that the University Council committee constituted to investigate the conducts of these two individuals, we have also explored other investigative mechanisms to collaborate the findings of the same committee for purposes of consistency and for avoidance of compromise, alive to the adage, “a monkey does not judge the case of the forest.”

The University Vice-Chancellor also has a track record of a reluctance to punish his close allies for any wrong doings. Such example will be cited in subsequent documents.  

We are alive to the Parliamentary Resolution as of Thursday 31st October, 2019 as follows:  

1. That the cumulative 15% tuition increment Policy be halted until when the Parliamentary Committee on Education reviews the policy and guides parliament accordingly on whether the University warrants a supplementary budget, if need be one to fill in the funding deficit of the University.    

2. That suspended students be unconditionally reinstated to the University to resume their studies since they participated in a free and Peaceful demonstration.  

3. That the university desists from interfering in the way in which the Students Body govern themselves. Impliedly, the degazettment of the Students Electoral Regulations.  

4. That the military immediately vacate students units of Accommodation and University Facilities.  

We commend the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda for a gesture as one of Building for the Future of this Nation and do so pray that both the Ministry of Education and the University respect the resolutions of Parliament as the legislative Arm of this Nation.  

In light of the Resolutions of Parliament, the Students Guild Leadership is also alive of the tendency of the University to undermine Parliamentary Resolutions as has been evidenced in the past. Such incidences include increasing of allowances for Government Sponsored students from Four Thousand Five Hundred Shillings Only to Ten Thousand Shillings Only.  

It is on that record that the Students Guild Leadership invites the Students Community to an Extraordinary Assembly on Monday 4th November, 2019 at the Freedom Square from 10:00am to determine on whether the Peaceful Demonstration must continue or be suspended. We hope that prior to that, University Authorities shall commit in writing to abide by the Parliamentary Resolution, and in effect will have unconditionally revoked all student suspensions.  

We shall continue to resist in the strongest terms possible all forms of blackmail meted out on our Academic Freedoms and the Freedoms of Expression.  

Yours,  

e-signed  Nalukwago Judith  Ag. Guild President  

e-signed  Mugisha Mariam Kyomugisha  Ag. Prime Minister    

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