Mulago health school closed following demo
Students with their belongins after the closure of the institute. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
Hundreds of students at the Uganda Institute of Allied and Health Management Sciences were left stranded Tuesday morning when management closed the school after the learners failed to call off their demonstration that started Monday.
The students at the former Mulago Paramedical School were protesting consistent power blackouts, congestion in their hostels and poor food.
The protests briefly stopped as a crisis meeting to solve the problem progressed.
However, protests resumed Tuesday as students lit bonfires in the compound forcing management to close the institute.
“Your actions are contrary to your presence in this institute .For safety of government property, the hospital and management, the governing council of this institute has directed that you go home with immediate effect,” a notice ordering the closure of the institute reads.
The Regional Police Commander, Kampala Metropolitan North, Mr Steven Tanui, who had disregarded an earlier verbal directive to close the institute, said officials who attended the crisis meeting had agreed to address students’ grievances of congestion and poor meals but management had failed to find a cure for power blackouts.
Mr Alfred Otim, the deputy principal of the school said Umeme, the power utility company, which disconnected them from the national power grid, is wrongfully demanding Shs915 million from the institute.
