Students Vacate Makerere University

Nov 02, 2016

The Police led by the Inspector General Gen. Kale Kayihura are patrolling the campus to ensure that students leave.

Students vacate Makerere premises. Photo by Kennedy Oryema

There is a heavy police deployment at Makerere University as students pack their belongings to vacate the university premises after its closure on Tuesday.

The Police led by the Inspector General Gen. Kale Kayihura are patrolling the campus to ensure that students leave.

President Yoweri Museveni on Monday ordered for closure of Makerere University currently embroiled with lecturers' and students' strikes since last week.

The Presidential directive issued on Tuesday evening was taken "to guarantee the safety of persons and property."

Simon Kabuye a student of Telecom engineering said: "We have been given little time to vacate the premises yet most of us come from very far."

Kenneth Odong a veterinary student said: "most of us have already paid our tuition now will government refund our money? This is an unjust decision by the President."                       

Isaac Okello land survey and geomatics student said: "I hail from Northern Uganda and I don't have transport. What can I do? Why don't they use the money they are wasting on all these policemen to pay the lecturers so that we remain at school?"

Francis Lutaakome a medicine student said:  "The President's directive was pre-emptive. There should have been other options than closing the university. This has caused more panic especially among us students who were preparing for our tests. This is cause for retakes."

"Pursuant to the powers vested in me by the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and Section 26(2) of the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001 as amended, decided to close Makerere University with immediate effect, until further notice, in order to guarantee safety of persons and property" the directive signed by the President states.

"Pursuant to the powers vested in me by the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and Section 26(2) of the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001 as amended, decided to close Makerere University with immediate effect, until further notice, in order to guarantee safety of persons and property" the directive signed by the President states.

This comes after last ditch attempts by the University Council to end the lecturers' strike on Tuesday by offering to pay lecturers' incentive allowances for one month immediately following a crisis meeting.

Students joined the strike on Tuesday after lecturers under their umbrella body Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) on Monday resolved to continue their strike until sh32b in allowance arrears over eight months is paid.

During the general assembly of lecturers at the School of Education, they unanimously endorsed the decision to continue the strike in a move they said would solve Makerere's financial problems once and for all.

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