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Gulu University students to protest Makerere tuition fees hike

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of students of Gulu University are set to stage a peaceful demonstration Friday in solidarity with their Makerere University counterparts against the 15% cumulative tuition increment.

In July 2018, Makerere University Council approved endorsed a 15 percent increment on tuition and functional fees to be implemented over the next five years.

However, the policy has sparked protracted student’s protest since October 22 leading to running battles with security officers.

The protests were marred by a violent crackdown on students by the police backed by the military paralyzing business at Uganda’s biggest and oldest public University.

Now, Gulu University students have written to Gulu District Police Commander-DPC, Emmanuel Mafundo seeking protection for their planned demo.

The students have pinned a write up on all Gulu University notice boards water marked “Fees Must Fall”.

“A demonstration is everyone’s right and the security forces were in wrong when they unleashed terror on striking Makerere University students and vandalized their property in the process,” reads the notice in part.

According to the notice, the demonstration is set to start at 9:45am from the University main campus proceeding to Gulu town comprising of a maximum of 70 students.

A concerned student in the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment told URN on condition of anonymity that the demonstration will begin from the main campus to the offices of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), LC V Chairman, District Education Officer (DEO, and Uganda Human Rights Commission- UHRC.

Jimmy Patrick Okema, the Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson, said he wasn’t in office to comment on the matter and requested more time to consult.

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