Makerere's task

MILITARY Police and their civil counterparts have been deployed at Makerere University following last Friday's murder of a student and subsequent rioting. This is a sensible thing to do now, given the volatility of the situation on the campus, but it can only be a short-term measure. It is untenable to keep them there as a permanent fixture. It is the ultimate irony that Makerere, which used to be an island of tranquillity in the early to mid 1980s, is now probably the most unsafe place in what is now a safe city. Back then, as life in Kampala came to a standstill at sunset, the social scene at Makerere would be picking up as the campus hosted parties, pageants and nights out for not only the university community, but the social animals of the city as well. Makerere's status was informed by the closed nature of the campus, which, unlike the University of Nairobi for instance, is on one fenced off piece of land. Makerere has not only had two murders in the last two months. The chances of having one's parked car vandalised, day or night, are high. Many students avoid walking long distances, like returning to halls of residence from the library, after dark. The university is a victim of its own success. Increased intake means that many students reside outside of the campus, which enables criminals to mix in with the crowd. But there are infrastructural problems like collapsed fencing and unlit buildings, streets and pathways that encourage crime. The university authorities will have to review the basic quality of the infrastructure as a deterrent to crime and as a foundation for the rebuilding of confidence. Ends