KAMPALA — Victoria University has condemned the violent arrest of it’s Vice Chancellor Dr. Lawrence Muganga by the military intelligence last week — with the private city university recounting the events also captured on CCTV cameras.
In a statement released Monday, Victoria University, who spoke for the first time since the September 2 incident, said the University was cast in shock and panic.
“The University was not accorded any reason for arrest,” a state indicated.
“The unfortunate incident happened on Thursday 2, September 2021, when armed men in civilian clothes led by one Denis Musumba (according to the National lD which he presented to Reception Desk)) entered the University premises on Plot 1-13 on Jinja Road Kampala and arrested Dr. Lawrence Muganga and his body guard and whisked them off in a vehicle which headed towards Nakawa direction along I inja Road. The Personal Assistant to the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Herbert Kayongo, took off on a boda boda and followed the vehicle. He too was arrested. This was about 10.00 a.m, ” the University said.
The Statement added: After about one hour, Dr. Muganga was brought back to the University by men in UPDF uniforms and others in civilian wear and were travelling in what is commonly termed as ‘a drone’. They proceeded with Dr. Muganga, who was in handcuffs, to the office of the Vice Chancellor. The men were seen carrying a laptop from his office and they drove him off again”.
University leadership says that University expects all her staff to be law abiding but in case they are suspected to have broken the law and have to be arrested, they should be handled in accordance with lawful procedures.
“The University condemns the manner of arrest of Dr. Muganga which did not follow the known lawful procedures of effecting arrest of a suspect.
“We assure the general public, our dear staff, students and their parents and guardians that the University is calm and its programmes are running normally”.
Dr. Muganga was released a day after he got arrested on charges of espionage and illegal stay in Uganda.
Muganga has been part of the group spearheading efforts to rename the community of Rwandans living in Uganda, “Abavandimwe” on grounds that they are being segregated in the name of calling them “Abanyarwanda”.
The group argues that they are systematically locked out of the economy and public service, by a system that does not allow them to get Ugandan passports, secure SIM cards, open up bank accounts, and acquire loans.
Relations between Rwanda and Uganda remain strained due to counter accusations of sabotage and espionage.
Rwanda blames Uganda for arresting its nationals and holding them incommunicado.
In a social media post released on Friday evening, Muganga thanks Ugandans for standing up for him and helping secure his freedom.
Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson Brig. Flavia Byekwaso says that Muganga was arrested by a joint security force team on Thursday evening from the Victoria University offices in Kampala. She, however, dismissed reports that Muganga had been kidnapped.
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