At least 55 students of St. Gonzaga Secondary School in Lyantonde district have been arrested for leading a violent strike which left four people including a police officer injured seriously.
The students were arrested on Friday night following their strike after the school administration blocked one of them, Dan Muhairwe, from being nominated to become head prefect.
Muhairwe reportedly picked nomination forms on Friday, but the school administration led by the head teacher, Aloysius Mawungu, allegedly blocked him on grounds that he was not a Muganda yet the catholic founded school wanted a Muganda. URN could not independently verify these claims.
The decision to stop Muhairwe angered his supporters who went on rampage and started demonstrating. The angry students led by Muhairwe himself smashed window panes and threatened to set the school headmaster’s house on fire, accusing him of tribalism.
Witnesses say the students, armed with sticks started beating up all teachers until anti riot police from Lyantonde central police station rushed to the scene.
Martin Lubega, the Lyantonde criminal investigations officer, who rushed to the scene alongside Rashid Agelo, the District Police Commander, says the students overpowered them and they were forced to call for reinforcement from Lwengo and Kiruhura districts.
Lubega says Mathew Wamungui, the officer in charge of Kaguta Road Police post in Kiruhura district was injured in the process. He says the students hit Wamungui on the head with stones and was admitted at Kanaabi clinic in Lyantonde.
Police also say three students have been admitted at Kasambya Hospital in Lyantonde after they were injured during the scuffle. They include Juliana Kyomuhendo while the particulars of the other two are still unknown.
Lubega 55 students believed to be ring leaders of the strike are detained at Lyantonde central police station.
Muhairwe told URN that his supporters were angered by what he called lack of democracy at the school. He also says the school was accusing him of indiscipline yet he has never bleached any school rules and regulations.
The school administration led by Aloysius Mawungu has not yet commented on the matter. Lubega says Mawungu disappeared when the strike started. Currently, there is heavy police deployment at the school as Lyantonde District Education officials and school management prepare to meet.
In 2008, students at the same school staged a violent strike to protest poor feeding and confiscation of mobile phones. As a result of the strike, the then school headmaster John Lugajju was transferred to another school.
Almost two weeks ago, at least two schools, Adumi secondary school and St Joseph's Ombaci, were closed briefly in Arua district after students went on strike and destroyed property.
