Makerere disowns tear gas innovation

Oct 05, 2016

"This tear gas innovation was individual, based on an individual research and demonstrated by an individual."

PIC: Samuel Mugarura puts his work on display last month

KAMPALA - Makerere University has admitted that Samuel Mugarura, the recent tear gas innovator, is a student of College of Natural Sciences (CONAS), but has disowned his innovation as individual and not official.

A statement from CONAS says that Mugarura is a registered student of the university as of 2013, on a three-year programme of Bachelor of Science in Ethnobotany.

The university says he should have completed his studies in the academic year 2015/2016 that ended in May 2016. However, he is still at Makerere to retake papers that he failed during the normal three academic years.

The Makerere regulations provide that any student who has not completed a study programme on a normal progress is given two extra academic years within which he has to complete his studies. And this means that Mugarura has until academic year 2017/2018 to complete his studies.

However, CONAS commended Mugarura as a student who possessed basic science skills, adding that it is possible that any person with basic science skills of chemistry or biology can work out formulae for a final product of interest.

According to Ritah Namisango, the university public relations officer, the tear gas innovation is not an official project of any of the departments of CONAS.

"An official innovation must have a research committee and should be a registered project with the officials of the college, but this tear gas innovation was individual, based on an individual research, demonstrated by an individual," she said.

"It is, therefore, not officially recognised by the institution."

Meanwhile, Mugarura made tear gas out of sugar, salt and food colour and demonstrated it late last month - September 25 - but he is on a wanted list of criminals by the Police over drug abuse, assault, and other charges at Wandegeya Police Station in Kampala.

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