Death at Makerere: We’re all guilty

Police are investigating the murder of Michael Betungura Bewatti, a 27-year-old Law student of Uganda Christian University (UCU), which occurred on July 14, during the final round of the guild presidential campaigns, at Makerere University.
“The facts gathered indicate that the victim was fatally wounded by a blow from a broken glass bottle, which caused the sharp force injury, on the right side of the neck, after he was attacked near Nsibirwa Hall junction. The victim rushed to the washrooms at Nsibirwa Hall (former Northcote Hall), where his colleagues picked and transported him to the university hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was haemorrhagic shock following sharp force trauma,” police spokesperson Fred Enanga said.

He then named some suspects.
This, of course, is tragic. The fact that it happened on July 14, the date of the French Revolution, is even more tragic. 
Politics was supposed to be cleansed of its illiberalism by the French Revolution.
However, the French Revolution also sparked many deaths during the Reign of Terror (1793–1794), about 40,000 people were executed or murdered during a revolutionary orgy of mindless violence. 

Similarly, the killing of Michael Betungura Bewatti reminds me of when I was at Makerere, and I ran for guild president.
To those who do not know this, the students’ guild umbilically links the students’ body and the university administration.
With that in mind, thinking I would be able to highlight the interests of the studentry, I threw a hat into the ring. This proved to be a learning curve instead of a presidential turn to my personal story arc.
While campaigning at Northcote Hall, I mentioned that my father was once the chairman of the hall in the 1970s.
That was the time when the red-meat culture of Northcote’s militant behaviour began to characterise the hall’s place in the universe.

The students listened, they also cheered.
After my speech, some mousy boy pulled me aside and whispered about people I should meet.

I thus followed him until he opened up a door that led to a room bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside.
Therein, about 30 persons sat solemnly staring at me.
So, I harangued them with a speech that was heavy on fable and light on fact.
When I was done, one of them asked: “Which part of the country are you from?”

“I’m from Kabale,” I replied, hesitantly.
“So, you’re one of us,” the whole room chorused.
I hadn’t noticed before, but I soon realised the room was full of Ugandans from south western Uganda.
After that chorused reply, I had to endure 30 minutes of ethnic bigotry from them that made my stomach turn. 
I avoid over-emphasizing my roots, so I am not rooted by them.
For such rooting leads to a provincialism that contradicts my humanism; a humanism which demands that I remain rootless to be adaptable to any situation or persons.
To be a true global citizen, one has to be a bit of a chameleon or shape-shifter, while remaining true to one’s own individuality.

This individuality helps you find yourself as you stand apart from tribe, race and religion, and when push comes to shove, party affiliation.
It is only through such apartness that we can avoid more Michael Betungura Bewattis dying as we live up to the humanism of the French Revolution.
This shall remind us that being different should not create differences between us, and that our separate interests should not separate us. Since being apart implies                       an opportunity to come together. 
Until we learn this, we are all guilty of Michael Betungura Bewatti’s death.
Mr Matogo is a professional copywriter  
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