Sebei College suspends 800 students for striking over Chelsea vs Man United match

KAPCHORWA, UGANDA: At least 800 students of Sebei College, Tegeres in Kapchorwa District have been suspended for two weeks after engaging in a violent strike that left school property damaged over the weekend.

The suspended students are from Senior one, two, three and five.

It is alleged that the strike erupted after the school administration failed to show the English Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United, which ended 1-1 on Saturday.

In a suspension letter dated October 23, 2022, Sebei College head teacher, Mr Frederic Chesang instructed each of the suspended students to return at the end of two weeks with a parent and a payment receipt of Shs 103,000.

“The magnitude of the destruction is big and therefore you are expected to pay Ugx103000 including the bank charge as a cost for repairs. The money should be channelled directly to the school account using school payment codes issued earlier to every student,” he said.

According to Mr Chesang, the administration was faced with load shedding but students thought it was a deliberate attempt to stop them from watching the match. 

“They watched the first half of the match and during the start of the second half, power went off and the generator developed technical complications. The students could not understand that and instead started striking,” he said.

Mr Chesanga said the students destroyed water pipes, doors, windows, CCTV cameras, adding that they have started investigations to get the ringleaders. 

“We were disappointed by the students’ misconduct at the time they should be preparing for the end-of-year examinations,” he added.

However, one of the suspended students said it had become a routine for the school to deny them a right to entertainment.

 “The generator ran out of fuel and when we tried to ask, they told us to go and revise our books until power comes back,” a disgruntled student said.

Mr Toskin Musani George, the assistant Town Clerk of Kapchorwa Municipality said the school made a hurried decision to suspend the students.

“They simply gave a blanket suspension. They should have carried out investigations first to identify the ring leaders,” Mr Toskin said.

Simiilar Incidents

In March this year, one student was shot dead at Gulu Central High School in Northern Uganda following a strike that turned violent after the school administration refused to broadcast the English Premier League Manchester Derby between Manchester City and Manchester United.

In November 2012, students at St. Geralds Secondary school in Rukungiri district then staged a violent strike and destroyed classrooms as well as vandalised electric wires when the school’s administration turned down their request to watch a football match between English clubs Manchester United and Chelsea.