It’s been 26 years since the tragic evening that turned a quiet Friday into one of Makerere University’s darkest moments. On June 11, 1999, three students — Richard Tumwesigye, Kajabago Mirindi, and Maria Birungi Katasi — were gunned down near the university’s eastern gate. The attack, still etched into the collective memory of the institution, sent shockwaves across Uganda.
The students, walking back to campus via Wandegya-Bwaise Road, were ambushed and fatally shot in a sudden act of violence that left the nation stunned. Tumwesigye, a promising law student, had completed his final exams just hours earlier. Mirindi and Katasi, both students of Social Sciences, were known for their academic dedication and active roles in campus life.
The killings ignited an outcry. Students marched. Parents demanded answers. The nation asked: how could such a brutal act happen to students just meters from one of the country’s most revered learning institutions?
In the immediate aftermath, the government deployed Military Police to Makerere, lining the gates and patrolling campus from June 12 to June 13. Though their presence was temporary — most had withdrawn by June 14 — it was a stark signal of how serious the situation had become.
But questions never stopped coming. Chief among them: what happened to justice?
The main suspect, Alex Twinomugisha, was arrested soon after the shooting. What followed, however, became a case study in the failings of Uganda’s criminal justice system. Twinomugisha remained in custody for more than two decades — over 20 years without trial. The prolonged detention became a lightning rod for criticism, raising alarms about due process, human rights, and judicial inertia.
“The tragedy wasn’t just the loss of three brilliant students,” said a Makerere alum who knew the victims. “It was also the fact that the system failed everyone — the families, the university, even the suspect himself.”
In the years since the shooting, the university has taken steps to bolster security. Patrols were increased. Lighting was improved along major walkways. Surveillance systems were introduced. Still, the occasional reports of thefts, assaults, and other security breaches suggest that the struggle to ensure student safety continues.
Yet the legacy of Tumwesigye, Mirindi, and Katasi goes beyond tragedy. Their names now symbolize something larger: the urgent need for accountability — not just in how campuses are protected, but in how justice is pursued and delivered.
As Makerere University marks the 26th anniversary of that haunting night, a renewed call echoes from its classrooms and corridors: never again.
The memories of June 11, 1999, are a solemn reminder that safety cannot be assumed, justice cannot be delayed, and the lives of students — full of potential and promise — must never be left unprotected.
