There has been heavy security presence at Makerere University main campus in the capital, Kampala, after President Yoweri Museveni ordered its closure.
Police clashed with students on Tuesday during a protest against an ongoing lecturer’s strike. Police were reported to have used teargas and water canon to disperse crowds.
Last evening the president held a press conference at Kawumu state lodge in Makulubita Sub County, Luweero district and explained his decision to close the University.
“The university counsel called on me to temporarily close the university because the teachers had not been teaching, using very small excuses. [We] have been increasing the salaries. Our target is to make sure that a professor gets 15 million shillings. We are now moving, I think we have reached 8 million,” He said.
“All these programs we are talking about, NAADS, they need money. We are not refusing to pay the arrears of those lecturers. But they should wait because, we are doing other things also. We have people with an attitude, “If you do not do this today I am doing to [strike]”, that is not a good way. ” The President added.
“I want to tell you that we are not going to tolerate this type of indiscipline any more. This is ‘kisangya hakuna mchezo’ you remember. We cannot have somebody constrict the neck of the government saying, if you do not give me the money now, I am going to paralyze the country. That is not a good attitude… We want to open the University as soon as possible so that the children do not miss their studies,” He stated.
Lecturers have been on strike for more than a week now as they claimed they had not received salaries for eight months, and have vowed to remain on strike until they receive unpaid allowances worth UGX32bn.
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