Bishop Ogez High School closed over student strike

Police in Bushenyi district, together with authorities at Bishop Ogez High School, have closed the school, sending more than 1200 students home in a move to diffuse a violent strike.

The decision was reached in a meeting attended by the head teacher, Deus Kabigumira, the DPC, Damiano Katwesiime, the school board chairperson, Rev Fr Suzariyo Mwesime, and the teaching staff following a Wednesday strike in which students destroyed property worth millions of shillings.

DPC Katwesiime said the striking students went on rampage, breaking windows, hitting building walls and also destroying fellow students' property.

He said police responded immediately and dispersed, arrested and detained 21 of the strikers believed to be the ring leaders of the strike.

 According to the school authorities, the students allegedly went on strike protesting the delay by the school administration to organise a soccer gala party following the school's winning of the district football tournament.

The school administration is understood to have engaged the students for over two days over the matter, promising to organize a party for them but the students remained adamant.

"As police, we managed to put the situation under control but basing on the assessment of the school administration, we collectively decided that students must go home," said Katwesiime.

Headmaster Kabigumira said that as the school administration, after accessing the situation, they decided to close the school to avoid any more damage of the institution's property.

He said candidates (S.4 and S.6) will report back to the school with their parents on April 21 and the rest of the school will report four days later (April 25).

The district education officer, Saul Rwamporo, has condemned the behavior of the students, saying the ring leaders should be severely punished.

He said this was the only strike in the whole district since the beginning of the academic term, adding that his department will meet with the school administrators to investigate the matter further.