President Museveni has urged all stakeholders in Makerere University to dialogue and resolve whatever contradictions exist around the fees conundrum.
President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Military Police to vacate Makerere University campus as a way to give room for talks to resume.
Museveni also directed the leadership of Makerere University to re-engage with striking students with the view to resolving the ongoing impasse that has paralyzed life at the country’s biggest university and left dozens of students in police detention.
Since October 22, the students have been protesting against a 15 percent cumulative tuition increment that was approved by Makerere’s top governing body the University Council and the former students leadership the Guild council.
The university management and the student leaders met on Monday but failed to agree on the way forward prompting the meeting to be adjourned.
In a tweet, the senior Presidential press secretary, Don Wanyama said the President had urged the stakeholders in Makerere University to dialogue and resolve whatever contradictions are existing.
“President Museveni has urged all stakeholders in Makerere University to dialogue and resolve whatever contradictions exist around the fees conundrum. This morning, the President has spoken to the university council chair and the guild president, urging them to meet. He has also ordered the withdrawal of the military police from the university.” The Tweet read.
Earlier on Monday the university top governing body tried to engage the student representatives led by their Guild president Julius Katerega but the meeting was not fruitful
The guild president had earlier on said they cannot continue with talks while some of their colleagues are still in custody and others suspended
However, Katerega late today noted that they are in negotiations with the University council members on how to restore sanity at the university.
Videos have been released showing that military and riot police flogged and forced students to roll on the floor half-naked. Other reports indicate that the army broke into students’ halls of residence at night and clobbering them with several students hospitalized.
A move which was criticized by the university and the public but the police spokesperson Fred Enanga defended the military presence and operations saying they were acting on intelligence where there are foreign forces fuming the strikes
