Makerere University Council is sitting to forge the way forward

By; Jjunju Francis

29^th October 2019

Makerere University Council has convened a meeting at the senate to resolve the impetus that has seen the university activities stall for the last one week over students strike.

The meeting held yesterday chaired by the first Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academics, Professor Umar Kakumba along with some university staff and students ‘representatives failed to reach to a compromise.

The guild president Julius Kateregga, and his deputy Judith Lukwago insisted on the four demands that the students want the university administration to address, which include the immediate reinstatement of suspended students, revocation of the warning letters, suspension of the cumulative 15 per cent tuition and functional fees increment policy, the de-gazettement of the Students Guild Electoral Reforms/Regulations and the immediate improvement of sanitation facilities in the Halls of Residence.

The 15 per cent increment that is being implemented as part of a policy, passed by the University Council in June 2018 caused protests since Tuesday, October 22 up palarysing operations at the university.

The week-long students protest saw dozens of student arrested by the military and police and later Security officers broke into student rooms in halls of residences vandalized property and brutalized students a situation described as inhuman by a number of stake holders.

It is said even Last evening there was another operation by the Security team around the campus with teargas and live bullets fired and according to Police some intruders access the campus and incite students who are also supported by some Politicians and activists.