Teargas and bullets rocked Kabale town on Friday as police engaged in running battles with students of Kabale University who went on a violent strike for lack of lectures since the opening of the semester three weeks ago.
It violence started when students who were moving from the office of the University Guild President attempted to storm the office of the Academic Registrar.
The students wanted the academic registrar to explain why they have not had lectures ever since they reported for a new semester on the 15th September 2016.
Lecturers at the University laid down their tools protesting the failure by the administration to pay them salaries for the last 8 months.
The students are protesting the lack if lecturers since the start of the semester
The students also wanted to raid the office of the Vice chancellor Professor Joy Kwesiga who they say is not fit to be in the office.
Sarah Ayebare, a student accuses the VC of maladministration and lack of response to the pressing needs of the student community.
“The University should refund our money if they are not ready to teach us,” said Ayebare.
It was when the students tried to force their way to the office of the Vice chancellor that police moved in with tear gas and fired live bullets to contain them.
Teargas
This worsened the situation as the dispersed students decided to take to the centre of Kabale town prompting a hide and seek game with the police. The students who were dressed in the undergraduate gowns disappeared into the crowds before regrouping heading to the district head quarters.
Pupils at Kikungiri primary school and students of Rock high school were also caught up in the confusion after tear gas was fired at the schools in the process of containing the situation prompting the occupants of the schools to flee.
Henry Kisembo, the Kabale field force unit commander says that they had no problem with the students expressing their grievances, but they realized that they were becoming unmanageable.
Police trying to contain the rowdy students
He says there was no need for the students to attack the office of the academic registrar and that of the Vice chancellor in addition to taking to the streets of Kabale town.
Allen Babugura the Vice chancellor in charge of Academics who is the only administrator that was at the University at the time of the incident declined to comment on the matter.
By the time of filling this story, the students were still engaging the police in a hide and seek game in Kabale town while others had managed to sneak to Kabale district headquarters at Makanga hill to meet the RDC.