Dr. Simba Kayunga, the Head of Department, Political Science, Makerere University, has blamed politics for the rampant strikes in higher institutions of learning.
“Guild campaigns in the major public universities in Uganda are funded by political parties resulting into election malpractices and violent strike,” he said.
He said this during the Inter-university dialogue on university strikes in Uganda, organized by the Inter- University Conference for Peace in East Africa on November28th at Makerere University Main Hall.
Dr. Simba affirmed that, in all the history of Makerere University, there has been a power struggle by political parties to control the activities of the university.
He added that these parties forget that universities are centers of critical thinking and often students rise to oppose such moves.
John Mugabi, the Kyambogo University Guild President, confirmed the allegations by saying that students’ politics coupled with administrative politics has been a major cause of strikes in Kyambogo University. He alluded to a recent strike where their lecturers were opposed to the reinstatement of the Vice Chancellor, dividing the university into two. Both parties, he said, were using the students to fight their wars.
Andrew Mubiru, a second year biomedical laboratory technology student, said students in most cases strike because of political influence. He gave an example of Bernard Luyiga, the LCV councilor Makerere University, whose writings, he alleges, have led to various strikes in Makerere University. Luyiga has also created, Mubiru continues, a belief that, nothing can be achieved without a strike.
The University secretary, Kahunda Muhwezi, however, claims that 95% of strikes are on welfare issues.
According to Anatoli Muleterwa, the Senior Superintendant of Police, over 20 strikes have been registered in different universities, with Kyambogo University dominating, this year, said Anatoli Muleterwa, the Senior Superintendant of Police.