Kampala. Police were by press time yesterday still holding at least 13 students from Makerere University and Kyambogo University for organising illegal assemblies.The students, majority from Makerere, had in the morning tried to hold a peaceful procession on their way to the Law Development Centre to attend a meeting against the Public Order Management Bill.However, police sources said the students were protesting the closure of Makerere. The university was closed on Wednesday last week following a strike by members of staff agitating for a 100 per cent salary increase.The Makerere students, led by guild president Ann Adeke Ebaju, were intercepted at Wandegeya, a Kampala suburb, after police fired teargas to disperse their crowd and arrested only a handful. Uganda Police deputy spokesperson Patrick Onyango said the “students will be charged with illegal assembly and incitement of violence”. Also arrested was Mr John Mugabi, guild president of Kyambogo University and his aide, Mr Baleese Joshua, who were part of the march. Eleven students were held at the Wandegeya Police Post while two were being detained at the Kawempe Police Station.The University Council, the highest decision-making body of the university closed the institution two days to the beginning of a new academic year, arguing that there is no money to meet its staff demands of 100 per cent salary increment.
