Makerere University Guild has moved to condemn the manner in which fellow students behaved ‘in the name of fighting for our rights.’ Yesterday, a section of students, led by the president Makerere University Private Student’s Association, Wanyera Simon carried on a strike demanding that the university scraps off the 60% fees payment policy.

The 60% policy demands that students pay at least 60% of tuition by the six week. According to this semester’s academic calendar, this was the 6^th week.

The university guild had previously petitioned university management to which an extension of the deadline was sought to a month.

“Management has therefore agreed to extend deadline for fees payment and registration by 01 month with effect from 5^th October 2015 which is the end of the 6^th week of the semester.” Read the letter which was signed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Finance and Administration, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.

The guild president, Bala David, who was involved in scuffles with students when he turned up for the strike denied media reports that he was ‘roughed up and nearly lynched.’

‘I acknowledge that a few of them went physical at one point or another but they later reconsidered their actions,” he wrote on social media.

Bala justified his claim of not engaging in a strike citing the petition the guild had presented which resulted into an extension and a council meeting the next day (Today). He said a strike would only be justified after the council meeting since the fees payment issue is on the table.

“It would have been an insult to the intelligence of students for me as a leader to project a different intention in front of the students and yet again a different one in front of Council,” he continued.

Police blocks students from exiting university premises PHOTOS BY ABDU ZAHRA

He said, he had meant key university officials who ‘expressed willingness to revoke the policy but on condition that students present an alternative tuition policy which is not only convenient for them but also enables the university to function effectively.’

In a communiqué written a day after the strike by the Guild Information Minister, Davidson Ndyabahika, a fellow student was beaten and injured by fellow students for not participating in the strike. Some students also forcefully took food from Africa hall and engaged in looting around the university in the most ‘barbaric way.’

“Although it might have been genuine to fight against the policy, some incidents that were exhibited by some of our colleagues were uncalled for and we highly condemn them in the strongest terms,” wrote Ndyabahika.

“We wish to apologize on behalf of the students’ leadership to all those individuals and companies that were affected by some actions of our colleagues,” he said.

The university management maintains that the policy is intended to help the development process of the University.