KAMPALA – The management of the Law Development Centre (LDC) has asked the police to block a march of students at the institution, who are protesting the delayed release of their exam results.
Over 270 students of LDC on November 15 wrote to police, notifying them of their planned demonstration on Thursday, November 21, 2019. In a letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police, the students say their demonstration is a peaceful one as they intend to march to Parliament and deliver a petition to Speaker Rebecca Kadaga over the delayed issuance of their results.
But Mr Didas Bakunzi Mufasha, the Secretary of LDC, says the demonstration will cause at the institution that also hosts a Grade One Magistrate Court.
“The management of the Law Development Centre has seen circulating on social media, a notice of a meeting and demonstration at it’s Kampala main campus at Plot 339, Gaddafi Road. We wish to point out that we strongly object the intending meeting/ procession and demonstration because section 5 (3) of the Public Order Management Act 2013, requires the organisers of a public meeting/ demonstration to seek and obtain the consent of the owner of the proposed venue which Mr Mugarura has neither sought not obtained,” Mr Bakunzi’s letter to police reads in part.
He adds that at the moment, there are various academic activities going on at the institution including the writing of examinations, hence an illegal demonstration is not allowed as it cause disruption.
“For the above reasons, we will be glad if you [police] communicate to the organisers that it’s not possible to hold the intended demonstration as sought,” Mr Bakunzi said.
The students claim they sat examinations in August this year, finalizing the academic year 2018/2019. But whereas LDC weeks ago released results of the students for the academic year 2018/2019, the results for those sitting supplementary exams were not released. As a result, they say they may fail to graduate on the 13th December 2019.
However, LDC says the students’ results were withheld pending the decision of the court in the main case scheduled on December 9 ahead of the graduation on December 13.
“It’s surprising that the intending demonstrators now seek to demonstrate against the effect of a court order that they themselves sought, obtained and benefited from,” Mr Bakunzi said.
The students pursuing their bar course at LDC had petitioned the High Court challenging new fees slapped on supplementary exams, describing them as irregular.
The students in the court petition allege that LDC through its director, Mr Othiembi, deliberately fail students with an aim of extorting money from them through supplementary exams. The two represent over 250 students.
