NATIONAL
“Makerere University has been undergoing students’ Guild election campaign which attracted different political party candidates from NRM, FDC, NUP, UYD among others.
The students Guild campaigns have lasted for two weeks. According to Makerere University Electoral Commission electoral roadmap, the elections were scheduled for Friday 15th July 2022.
At the prime of the electoral campaigns, violence erupted between the two political parties that is FDC and NUP which led to the death of a student.
The fight erupted over who should occupy the Rugby ground for hosting their final campaigns.
This sparked off a fight between the two political wings that saw a NUP supporter stabbed his colleague on the neck leaving him severely injured and later died.
Strikes in Makerere University are becoming rampant like never before due to the external political influence which is spiking hooliganism within the institution.
These rioters have no limit and they go as far as forcing students and lecturers out of lecture rooms and Halls of residence in order to join them.
A number of people have fallen victims and lost their lives. For example, in 2016 a gang of students mobilized by the Nkuruma hall Chairman beat up to death David Ojok an IT specialist who had gone to demand for his money after repairing a student’s laptop.
The continuous strikes at Makerere makes one question as to where they get logistical support for instance money used to buy tyres that are burnt during the riots and very expensive campaigns.
The external political influence has always had a hand in the Guild elections at Makerere and fueling strikes.
This is displayed in the recent campaigns where the two opposition political parties fetched supporters from outside the University to come and campaign on behalf of their candidates.
During the 2017 Guild elections, Kiiza Besigye was fluked into the University to campaign on behalf of the FDC candidate.
On 14th July 2022, a group of people from Kamwokya who were led by Hon. Frank Kabuye, a NUP MP representing Kasanda and dressed in red overalls were brought in the University with intentions of causing chaos and sabotaging the campaigns.
The external political parties have always extended logistical supplies and mobilized funds for their candidates in the University.
As a result, campaigns that are meant to be peaceful and enjoyable since it’s a student and colleagues affair has been infiltrated by different political actors each pushing for their interests.
This has gone as far as fetching people who are not students into the university community who have nothing to lose and use violent means to influence students into chaos.
As society shall we sit back and watch when institutions of learning are being taken up and turned into Political institutions?”
Source: Explorer
