The Uganda National NGO Forum and the civil society organizations fraternity in Uganda have condemned the highhanded and violent response to the students’ peaceful protest against the fifteen per cent (15%) tuition increment issued by the management of Makerere University.
In a statement dated 29th October 2019, Richard Ssewakiryanga, the Executive Director of Uganda National NGO Forum, says Makerere should be a treasured institution for all Ugandans from all walks of life.
“Makerere has touched the lives of millions of African elite and intellectuals – so let us focus on seeing it for what is should be – a public institution of strategic educational value to Uganda,” Ssewakiryanga says.
He adds: “It therefore goes without saying that the invasion of the university ground, halls of residence and surrounding areas by a combined contingent of the armed personnel under the pretext of law enforcement is wrong. This invasion is also a flagrant infringement of the mandates of states security as enacted under Articles 208 to 214 of the Constitution.”
The statement adds that NGOs have noted that the disproportionate use of force and the blurring of lines between civilian policing and violent crackdown of demonstrations is a trend that has gained currency over time.
“The importance of restraint on the part of all security agencies and the immediate need to withdraw the military from the maintenance of law and order in the university cannot be over emphasized,” the statement reads.
It adds that the university management owes the students and entire university community a duty of care and should not stand by and watch as the institution’s premises become a battlefield between armed military personnel and defenseless unarmed students.
“We urge the university management and students’ leadership to embrace dialogue as the most desirable means to conflict resolution. Dialogue is a mark of civility and it should be vigorously pursued by all parties. The Ivory Tower cannot afford to be a site of heinous attacks of students. Whatever shortcoming can be attributed to the students; violence cannot be the solution,” the statement further reads.
NGOs further commend the Fourth Estate for capturing footage and images that have exposed these heinous acts—the absence of which would provide grounds for denial of any wrongdoing.
“In this regard, we implore the leadership of all responsible security organs to bring to book all errant officers who engaged in acts of torture, wanton destruction of property, pillaging, rape and sexual abuse and grievous bodily harm to students and members of the general public who were caught up in the violence. We most especially condemn the use of primitive and patriarchal tools of sexual abuse and violence against women that has been reported variously during the events at Makerere,” the statement reads
They also invite the Judiciary to perform its functions of administering justice and put to use its judicial powers in checking the seemingly unchecked acts of impunity by elements in the security apparatus that were deployed in the Makerere incident.
“… we look forward to the university leadership taking full responsibility of the results of this impasse. The university leadership should create conditions for dialogue which will allow discussions with the student leadership and other stakeholders. Intellectual discourse should be the natural and preferred option in resolving all issues at a university. To continue to explain away the mess instead and embracing it as a slippage in good governance at the university will deepen the schism between the conflicting parties which is inconsistent with Makerere University’s motto of – ‘We Build for the Future’,” the NGOs further say.
