AGE LIMIT REMOVAL: Bullets Rock Makerere, City Centre

By Stuart Yiga

Business in Kampala was yesterday paralyzed when an angry group of students went on strike in protest of the amendment of article 102 (b) where a group of Parliamentarians particularly from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) intend to scrap off the presidential term limit from the constitution.

Students blocked roads while others pelted stones at security as they chanted the anti-age limit slogans like, ‘togikwatako…togikwatako…’ among others.

In the process, police fired tear gas canisters and live bullets to disperse the rioters while the guild President Paul Kato with dozens of other students were arrested and detained at Wandegeya Police Station.

The demonstration affected mostly the areas of Makerere Kikoni, the university hall, Mary Stuart hall, among other places.

Unlike on Thursday, very few army officers were deployed at Makerere yesterday and actually even those few were   there, concentrated on quelling the students’ mobilizers within the varsity premises.

Meanwhile, the former Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye beat up security and managed to access the busiest business centre in Kampala (Kikuubo), where hundreds of his supporters ushered him like a hero.

Upon hearing the cheering from his supporters, police quickly rushed and ordered him to vacate the area. Besigye who remained adamant until police used its break down and towed off his vehicle.

Upon reaching Kampala Central Police Station, he still refused to get out of the car but police made a ring around his vehicle the comprised of anti-riot police officers. Later in the evening, he was forced out and driven straight to Naggalama Police Station where he was detained.

On the other hand, Police also arrested the Vice President of Democratic Party-Fred Mukasa Mbidde as he tried to match to Parliament in protest of the age limit amendment.