It’s been argued that Makerere university is perfect representation of the nature of Ugandan politics. Sentimental, chaotic, loud, tribal and riddled with violence.
Not a rally goes by that fans from rival camps don’t clash. The violence centres around ethnicity and the candidate’s hall of attachment. It’s trite to observe that halls often rally behind their candidates.
Most halls have their gangs who “maintain security” Lumumba has the GGB (Gongom Guard Brigade), Mitchell has the RGB (The Rat Guard Brigade), Nkrumah has the Osagyefo Guard Brigade, et al.. These stick wielding gangs dominate at their places of residence.
They don black tee shirts emblazoned with their particular camp name, wear military boots and wield sticks, they wear faces of intimidation, dark shades and heavy boots. The occasional face mask. Their breath reek of cheap liquor. It’s not strange to attach their violent behaviour to substance abuse.
“It’s public secret that candidates give their “hoodlums” kitoko as a form of prior motivation. Sober men can’t chant loud, can’t embrace adversity, can’t dance, can’t summon support,” opines a former candidate who prefers anonymity.
When a man is motivated by liquor, he loses shame. He gets bolder. Ethnic violence peers it’s head menacingly. The two apparently nearly ethnic camps are the Basoga Nseete backing candidate Bazil Mwotta and the Bahima backing Bainomugisha Mandela.
These two camps may not have directly engaged but these two have somehow had incidents of violence with the Roy Camp. They were various incidents of pro Roy Ssemboga fans fighting Pro- Mwotta fans at the University hall rally.
These undoubtedly are the main camps of aggression. At the Nkrumah rally, Lumumba boys forced their way in, a one Bashir former culture minister had just won his councillor slot. A pack of about 10 shoved their way.
This sort of behaviour is perceived as contempt to the host hall, their battalions often retaliate. Then there’s shoving, and pushing and blows are switched. “It’s difficult to discern who the real students are. Some seem just to big to be students,” Observes Otim Jackson, an IT student.
The Makerere electoral commission has its pack of “crime preventers.” University police often sends a few cops who don’t interfere nor interrupt. The threat of violence is a time bomb.
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