KAMPALA, UGANDA: Police in Kampala Tuesday arrested at least seven students of Kyambogo University following their strike over delayed allowances for government-sponsored students, missing marks, and exorbitant charges on tuition, among others.
The disgruntled students declared the strike after a Shs50,000 fine was imposed for one that fails to pay full tuition within six weeks while others cited the delay of Shs700, 000 allowances to students under the sponsorship of government.
“We don’t know whether the government had sent the money yet and it hasn’t reached due to technical problems or it’s the university that has denied releasing the money to the students’ accounts,” one of the students said.
The Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed the arrest and said police had to use teargas to disperse the protesting students before effecting the arrests on Tuesday afternoon.
Owoesegyire said among the arrested students is the University Guild President Mr Michael Wafula Edrine who is alleged to have masterminded protest at the main campus in Kyambogo, a Kampala suburb.
Speaking to this publication in a separate interview, the Kyambogo University Guild speaker Bruce Ahikire said his colleagues may be released on Wednesday out of fear that they might incite violence if released immediately.
Ahikire however said over 15 students were arrested despite the KMP spokesperson detailing only seven arrested in his statement.
The University authorities were not readily available for a comment on the report by the time of writing this story.
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