Taking a critical look at the various guild constitutions of Universities across Uganda, political parties do not feature any where. However, there is a manner in which student politicians associate themselves with political parties like the FDC, DP/UYD, NRM and now the NUP etc.
It’s a culture that Students organise protest in solidarity with the broader society with the most recent being the “Tojikwatako” protest in Kampala against the Amendement of Article 102, b of the presidential election Act of the 1995 constitution of Uganda and the anti social media tax protests.
On the 14th January 2021, Ugandans went to the polls and extended Yoweri Museveni’s term of office to over forty years. An election that local and international observers doubted it’s aunthenticity. Basis of this, it’s suspected that the dissatisfied group will protest the election out comes. One may think that the student’s community being a stronger spot of the opposition may be nabbed in these protests. That’s in case they occur and perhaps justify their continued closure.
However, the reason given by various blogs may not be ignored because the Covid-19 is real. Though many critics of the regime may not buy this school of thought.
For over 10months, Ugandan Universities have been under key and lock for fear of the Civid-19 pandemic. It was expected that the universities would open this January to enable schools catch up with the normal calendar. The National Council for Higher Education (NHCE) in a statement requested Universities to continue with the ODel for fear that the pandemic would arise from the blue.
The national Council stipulated three months for the universities to open citing that the situation would have normalise then.
However, critics have related this decision to be a political move motivated by fear of the growing activism in higher institutions of learning most especially Makerere and Kyambogo Universities.
We spoke to some people who preferred to remain anonymous and they shared their views. They had this to say.
Personally I still doubt whether that directive was issued by the president of Uganda. If he did so, his advisors then told him so. Let’s first look at how the information moved
1.National Council wrote a letter , which wasn’t stamped. Later, media houses ( Nbs and Vision group ) . These channels we have been suspecting to be engineered by mafias initially.
Nbs and New Vision made publications before any media house . Actually it was 30 minutes after National council wrote the letter . Daily Monitor gave a different story . The story which we all knew that the minister of Education was supposed to address the nation on the 28th January 2021 but she didn’t. However, NCHE only addressed universities but the media houses included all schools, raising alot of questions .
So let’s compile
1.National Council releases a letter
2.Nbs and Vision group publish the story , where did the president speak from , from his bed , because on all occasions , Museveni has been addressing issues concerning Corona on TVs 🤷🏿♂️
3.JC muyingo says that meetings are still on going to decide a day , that but the end of this week they will have gotten a story , yet the president had already decided 3 months🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️. Meetings are on going yet the president had extended . Then what are they meeting for ???
- Daily monitor publishes something contrary .
So am seeing conflicting forces within the administrators .
If we stay home
Am expecting a deal , like President we need 15 billion for inspecting schools ,to see whether they are competent to follow SOPs before they start operating .
At first I thought it was a fear the university students might revolt , but what the primary kids ???????
[1/29, 9:00 PM] Smocker: There is a manner in which Universities act as an extensional academy of political parties most especially in the opposition. If you critically look at the NUP, it’s strength was to some extent gauged on the recently concluded guild elections. Even most of the country wide polling agents were recruited from Universities. I see a great fear that the opposition could recruit these energetic young men who are dissatisfied with the manner in which the Government has managed their affairs like the tuition hikes, removal of feeding allowances and hall allowances etc. This could tantamount to untold unrests for the state.
I spoke to one of my comrades from the the medical school of Makerere whose identity I prefer to keep anonymous. And he has this to say.
The truth is that I think at this political instability, Universities may be the start of a revolution that may see him out.
That’s my thinking.
Once Universities open, internal challenges like feeding, tuition blah blah can elicit demonstrations in universities mostly Makerere that can start from there, also history has it that most of the violence in Uganda doesn’t spare Makerere University.
It’s only Universities, Makerere in particular that can withstand a weekly strike amidst intimidation and 2019 strike that lasted for two weeks brought a lot of international focus and tension.
I even heard it from the vice Chancellor’s office that some politicians wanted to utilize that chance to make the strike move to kisekka market and beyond.
With all the challenges in Uganda currently, University students are the least you can rely on to maintain peace and patience and they’re always united.
Something small internally can become something big.
Again Makerere had made it a consistency to strike always at the begining or middle or end of the semester and right now, something small may spread.
Wounded Activist 