Makerere students riot over taxi deaths

Nov 16, 2004

THE Police yesterday spent over eight hours battling rioting Makerere University students

By Fortunate Ahimbisibwe and Pidson Kareire

THE Police yesterday spent over eight hours battling rioting Makerere University students.
The riot was sparked off by the death of a student leader, Edgar Mukundane, who was knocked in a hit-and-run over the weekend on Bombo Road.

Mukundane was the Off Campus Affairs minister in Lumumba Hall.
“He was admitted to Mulago Hospital but he died on Sunday,” university authorities said.
He was buried yesterday in Ibanda, Mbarara. Amina Muringi was also hit by a taxi at the Nakulabye junction during the scuffle, which affected areas in and around the university.

The Police said she died on arrival at Mulago hospital.
A statement from the university said two other students, Rose Kawarachi and Hawah Lubowa were involved in accidents on Monday on Sir Apollo Kagwa Road, and were in Mulago.

MUK spokesperson Hellen Kaweesa said Kawarachi was in critical condition. Another student, Scovia Kanyayi, was hit by a speeding car during the fracas, while another one went into a coma later in the evening at a Police station.

By yesterday evening, over 60 students, including a female picked up in only a towel, had been detained at Wandegeya Police Station.

About 30 girls were transferred to
Central Police Station in the evening.

Kampala Regional Police commander Benson Oyo Nyeko said, “The students are dead but that does not mean that the rest should cause chaos. We are trying to stop this riot and we shall not hesitate to arrest students suspected to be fuelling it.”

Over 100 Anti-Riot Police were deployed at the scene, in which five students were arrested and five others and a policeman were injured.

A student who was hit by a rubber bullet was rushed to Mulago.
Two groups of students rampaged through Kavule and Kasubi where they grabbed coffins but their progress to the city was checked by the Police.

The students became rowdy and vandalised vehicles and shops and destroyed property worth millions of shillings, which prompted the Police to launch tear gas canisters at them.

The students dispersed but re-grouped at various locations and pelted the policemen with stones and empty bottles.

Business on Sir Apollo Kaggwa and Bombo roads was paralysed when the students blocked them with burning tyres and beat up those who attempted to use them.

The chaos began in Lumumba Hall in what students called ‘mourning a fallen colleague.’

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