Renowned political commentator Charles Rwomushana has told veteran journalist and proprietor of the Independent Magazine Andrew Mwenda to keep his mouth shut when it comes to matters of Makerere University because he was once more vulnerable than the protesting students he is attacking now.
Following the three-day strike by the Makerere students over the 15 per cent tuition fees increment this week, the army together with Uganda Police came out and brutalized the former as a way of dispersing them and cooling off the strike. A good number of critics have since come out to condemn what they call erroneous act by the security operatives.
But to Mwenda, the students’ strike was uncalled for and that they should instead be happy because they pay less compared to their counterparts in private universities.
“Students at Makerere University have an exaggerated sense of entitlement. Students at private universities in Uganda like UCU and Nkozi pay much more fees and get much less in education than Makerere but we don’t see hear them striking over high fees,” reads his tweet.
On the matters of Police and army brutalising students, Mwenda said even in democratic countries such strikes happen and people die but in Makerere, no student was killed.
“For those denouncing police handling of protest at Makerere. Chile a democracy 18 dead in anti-government protests. Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy has just won a Noble prize for peace: 5 dead in similar protests. What is the death toll at Makerere?” He added.
Responding to his argument, Rwomushana told Mwenda to be humble because if he studied under President Yoweri Museveni’s regime, he would not have completed school. Why? Because he was poorer than the striking students now.
“In any case, two wrongs don’t make a right. I was with you at Makerere University and I’m sure you didn’t pay a penny. You were as needy as I was in Mbarara High School…probably I was better for I had a Roadmaster bicycle…If you were under Museveni #alnakba, I’m sure you were going to drop out of school. Just simply shut up…You are simply satisfied…We are going to fight probably that may inject you with some sense,” Rwomushana said in a Facebook post on Friday.
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