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Busitema University students strike over lack of water
The striking students locked their dean, Ronald Onzima out of his office. PHOTO BY JOSEPH EIGU ONYANGO
What you need to know:
- During the strike, the students barricaded all roads leading to the university administration block and main Soroti- Amuria road paralysing flow of traffic from Soroti to Amuria District and Karamoja region via Abim District.
- At the campus, the students destroyed the sick bay and looted all the drugs and apparatus, as others slaughtered an unspecified number of goats caged in a farm.
SOROTI.
Students of Busitema University, Arapai campus, on Wednesday locked their dean and his colleagues out of office and damaged property worth millions of shillings as they went on strike.
The irate students accused the vice chancellor, Prof Mary Okwakol, also the chairperson of Uganda National Examination Board and the entire campus administration of ignoring their concerns.
The students also attacked one of their colleagues, David Olinga, whom they accused for being a mole when they realised that he had made several calls to Prof Okwakol to report his colleagues. They beat him up and he was only saved by the police who took him to Soroti Central Police Station.
The students took concern with the lack of water at the campus, saying the administration had failed to pay water bills, forcing National Water and Sewerage Corporation to cut supply due to the accumulated bills, yet they pay tuition.
The striking student vandalised the sick bay and looted drugs. Photo by Joseph Onyango Eigu
The students also accused the university administration of swindling guild fund money resulting into failure to conduct the 2017 guild elections.
During the strike, the students barricaded all roads leading to the university administration block and main Soroti- Amuria road paralysing flow of traffic from Soroti to Amuria District and Karamoja region via Abim District.
“Yes, we blocked these access roads because the university administration has not listened to us and we want the public to know our suffering the students told Daily Monitor.
At the campus, the students destroyed the sick bay and looted all the drugs and apparatus, as others slaughtered an unspecified number of goats caged in a farm.
Police later dispersed the rioting students after two hours of running battles.
Prof Okwakol told this reporter that the administration is struggling with underfunding from responsible authorities. She said the ministry of finance is yet to remit about Shs600 million meant to help in running the university and clear bills.
