Police in Kampala has this morning arrested a group of students led by Roy Ssemboga, the Makerere University guild president as they marched to parliament.
Last evening Mr. Ssemboga sent out a message to Makerere students through different social media platforms asking them to join in today’s March to parliament demanding the re-opening of their campus.
The university was closed by president Museveni two weeks ago after unending strikes by lecturers and students.
Lecturers laid down their tools on Tuesday October 22nd demanding pay of their salary incentives for 9 months.
Students would later strike demanding that lecturers return to class, since delayed payment is not their doing. President Museveni in turn closed the university on security grounds and it is yet to be re-opened.
The Kampala metropolitan Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima says the student leader, Mr. Ssemboga informed the force about today’s intended visit to parliament, but in his letter, he did not specify their means of transport to parliament.
Kayima says the individuals were arrested for taking part in an unlawful procession. “They wrote to the IGP and the commander Kampala metropolitan that they wanted to deliver a petition to the speaker of parliament, but before we could write back and meet with them, they students started marching. This shows that they don’t follow and respect laws yet they know them, or they had different intentions which are not in line with what they described in their letter” said Kayima.