Police 'feeds' Kyambogo students on teargas as they protest over guild polls

Police on Tuesday morning descended on students from Kyambogo university and lavished on them teargas to break up a protest they had brewed over the postponement of their guild elections.

The guild elections were scheduled Tuesday morning, however, the electoral commission said they were not ready for the polls, infuriating students that had already gathered to cast their ballots.

The students started rioting, picking sticks and chanting war songs, but police intercepted them with gallons of tear gas to scatter them unceremoniously.

"Polling stations were already gazzetted and we were waiting to start voting. But the guild candidates were called in an emergency meeting with the dean of students who told them that some ballot papers were not ready," one of the students said

Mildred Tibananuka, the Dean of Students Kyambogo University, says the changes on the election calendar resulted from the delayed delivery of ballot papers.

"The guild presidential and GRC elections for 2017/18 which were due to take place today 6th March 2018 have been postponed to tomorrow Wednesday 7th March 2018 starting at 8:00pm," Ms. Tibananuka said in a statement.

According to source, the communication drew angry protests from the candidates who decided to mobilise their supporters protest the abrupt decision to halt the elections.

Nine candidates are vying for election as guild president.

They include the Forum for Democratic Change's candidate, German Amanya, National Resistance Movement's Eddy Akena and independent candidates, Paul Opesen, Richard Mugisha, Abraham Muhumuza, Frederick Okot Nassif Lubanga, Harun Kirenzi and Joel Ssemujju.

 

This follows the postponement of elections in Makerere University over anticipated chaos.