Prof. Ben Twinomugisha, a lecturer of law at Makerere University and a former Dean at the same faculty has announced a one-man strike over the Military Police brutality that was unleashed onto students in their halls of residence last night after three days of demonstration over tuition.
He likened the situation last night to the horrors that washed the country during the times of former President Idi Amin Dada whose soldiers terrorized citizens everyday without any form of accountability or restraint.
He called upon colleagues to condemn the militarization of institutions and referred to Makerere University as “torture chambers” where the members of the forces are involved in acts of inflicting bodily harm to the students and anyone else opposed to the establishment.
Read his full statement below:
“I will not step at Makerere today. I must rebel individually in protest against the vulgar, indespicable, horrendous mistreatment of students. What happened in Lumumba is reminiscent of Amin soldiers’ brutal treatment of students and lecturers. Anyone pretending that the situation is normal is like the proverbial ostrich – hiding his or her head under the sand. Imagine your son or daughter in a room. Military thugs forcefully open the door, pull him or her out amidst beatings. Your daughter being raped, molested or assaulted! Ladies and gentlemen, this militarization of all institutions, including the Ivory Tower, the citadel of higher learning, must be condemned by all people of good conscience. Thus, I have decided, as a matter of conscience, to stay away from the ‘torture chambers’ of Makerere University today. My heart, body and soul are bleeding. I have no mental health to teach. Have a blessed day.”
Armed forces last night broke into students’ rooms at Lumumba Hall and beat up any student they would land on and destroyed property worth millions of shillings in a move that has been highly criticized by members of the public. This was after the students had retreated back to their residences after a day of demonstrations over the cumulative tuition increment.
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