Student leaders at Makerere University have given management a 48-hour ultimatum to end their squabbles with staff so lecturers can commence. The ultimatum ends at midday of Friday, January 25, 2019.
They made the resolution during an emergency special guild sitting that took place at the university on Wednesday afternoon. Isaac Kwagala, the guild speaker convened the special sitting to discuss the current dispute between staff and management.
Following the suspension of leader of Makerere University Academic Staff Association (Muasa) Dr Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi by the vice chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the academic staff laid down their tools. The university reopened for the new academic year this week on Monday but lectures have not yet commenced following the academic staff's strike.
The student leaders also rejected the newly gazetted students' regulations to guide the guild elections. In a five-hour session, deliberations were made where the students pointed out the continued injustices meted on them by the university management including suspending of students, intimidation through heavy military deployments on campus, and lack of lectures and continued mudslinging of the media that has been reporting about the issues.
The gazetted new university guild elections regulations bans rallies in halls of residence, restricts campaign days and tag financials as requirement for standing for leadership positions.
Salim Were, alias Papa, the Makerere guild president issued an ultimatum to university management and council to repel the guild electoral guidelines and cause for lectures by mid-day on Friday, failure of which he promised to mobilise students to take the streets.
Were also warned all members of university management not to be tempted to issue any letter of warning or suspension to students during this period. Frank Bwambale, a student of journalism, and formerly suspended for opposing the tuition increment said staff and students are being terrorised by the military deployed on campus.
He cites Prof Ernest Okello Ogwang, the former deputy vice chancellor in charge of academic affairs who was beaten by the military last month while moving on campus.
Bwambale says students should not sit and pretend as if everything is normal and called for unity. He was also concerned about the students whose suspensions have not been lifted by the university managers.
Julius Mugisha, the guild representative councillor for the School of Economics at Makerere said they have not had lectures as opposed to the various tweets by the university managers.