Makerere University students during a strike. The New Vision Photo

Three students of Makerere University are to appear before Buganda Road chief Magistrates court on charges of organizing an illegal assembly.

The three include Frank Bwambale also known as “Young Thug” from the Department of Journalism and Communication, Roy Rugumayo, a Psychology student who also serves as the Psychology school president and David Musisri, from the School of Lifelong Learning. The trio was arrested on Tuesday last week from Makerere University and has since been detained at Wandegeya police station.

“Yes these students are in our custody for eight days now. But they are going to be produced to court today on charges of organizing illegal assembly,” The OC CIID Wandegeya police station says.

George Mutumba, the president of College of Humanities and Social Sciences, who visited the students in custody, said that he was not given access to all the detainees. “I was not able to see all of them, I got access to only Roy Rugumayo, I did not see Frank Bwambale. When I asked to access to the rest, the OC just walked away without any response,” Mutumba says.

On September 10, Makerere University suspended three students, Frank Bwambale,  David Musiri and Obbo Johnson for allegedly involving in strikes and posting anonymous messages intending to spoil the image of the university on social media.

Rugumayo was also given a warning letter on related issues. One of the students, Frank Bwambale, who is a Guild Representative Council (GRC), was faulted for authoring several anonymous messages with the intention of hurting the image of Makerere and that of the Guild Council.

“I have received a report that you are alleged to be authoring several anonymous messages on social media platforms as “Young Thug” with an aim of hurting both the University image, bringing the University Management and fellow student leaders of the 84^th students Guild Council into dispute. These actions are in breach of the University policies and other national laws,” reads in part the suspension letter signed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe.

Nawangwe further noted that the other two students Johnson Obbo and David Musiri also involved themselves in a series of strikes and demonstrations that disrupted activities and breached University students’ regulations, which they are supposed to uphold.