Besigye defiant, addresses Makobore school students

Jul 19, 2009

THERE was a drama at Makobore High School on Saturday after Rukungiri district authorities attempted to stop FDC party president Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye from addressing students.

By Caleb Bahikaho
in Rukungiri


THERE was a drama at Makobore High School on Saturday after Rukungiri district authorities attempted to stop FDC party president Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye from addressing students.

When Besigye arrived at the school at 11:00am with aides, he found the main gate locked.

One of the people on his entourage, James Bwitonyesire, telephoned the school’s head teacher, Sepharts Turyabahika, to establish what was going on.

“I was directed to cancel your visit by the district officials this morning for reasons I don’t know,” Turyabahika reportedly told Bwitonyesire.

However, Besigye left his vehicle at the gate and entered the school compound through the small gate and was welcomed by a group of cheering students chanting; “We want change”.

“I am a law abiding citizen, if it was in the law that people who are like Besigye should not come here I would not have bothered coming.

“But what law did they quote to stop me from coming here to say sorry to you?” he asked.

Besigye had earlier informed the school head teacher that he would visit the school to sympathise with the students over the loss of their colleague who was shot dead by the Police on June 21 during a riot over food rations.

The students rioted on June 20 after a Senior Four student was allegedly caned by the mess teacher after he tried to eat twice during lunch.

The students’ demands for the teacher to apologise for humiliating a candidate were futile.

The angry students attacked his residence where a Police constable guarding the house shot one of the students, Mark Mugyenyi, dead.

“It was really bad for you (students) to invade the teacher’s house with intention of killing him. It was also very bad for a policeman to shoot live bullets at the students. The person who did so must pay for it,” he said.

Besigye also urged students to adhere to the school rules and regulations, adding that one of the problems facing the country is leaders who do not understand the consequences of their actions.

Besigye gave the students a bull to feast on.

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