Makerere University management, student leaders talks end prematurely as acting Vice-Chancellor survives lynching

It seems the deadlock at Makerere University will not come to an end any time soon as the dialogue that was set up between the university administration and the students’ guild ended prematurely.

The University management in an October 27, 2019 letter authored by the acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Umar Kakumba had invited student leaders for talks following the four-day protest against the 15 percent cumulative tuition policy approved by the top governing body, university council last year.

The student representatives had been led by their guild president Julius Kateregga.

Earlier, Kateregga had said he would not attend the meeting if the conditions set that included revoking of the students' suspensions had not been fulfilled but he later agreed to meet the university management.

During the meeting, non-guild students forced their way into the dialogue and hijacked it.

What had begun as a peaceful meeting now turned rowdy as one of the students declared the hall, a prison and ordered for the closure of the entrance.

The unruly students now locked Police out of the hall as chaos continued.

Meanwhile, Police officers were forced into the hall through the windows and secured an exit of the acting vice-chancellor and other members of the university administration.

The students later stood on the meeting table, shouting on top of their voices and took it to the streets.

The meeting had ended prematurely.

Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga on Monday morning said the demonstration at Makerere is masterminded by politicians for their own selfish gains.

“There is an element of a political party or activists behind the protests,”Enanga told a weekly press briefing.

“We realized there was infiltration, of non-students and in the halls of residence. Seven of the 31 students we got from the halls instigating the demonstration were non-students.”