The Kyambogo University student protest has sparked serious consequences after 17 students, including guild president Benjamin Akiso, were suspended. The protest took place on April 23, with students demanding changes to tuition policies and late payment fines.
Their main demands included scrapping the rule requiring full tuition payment before registration and eliminating the Shs50,000 penalty for late registration. The university described the protest as disruptive and a violation of student regulations.
Suspension Follows Kyambogo University Student Protest
On April 29, the university issued a statement confirming the suspension of the protestors for one month. Authorities cited Regulation 40 of the Students’ Code, which allows for disciplinary action in cases of serious misconduct.
Among the suspended are prominent student figures like Akiso, John Owor Masanja, Timothy Mwesigwa, and Winnie Nansenja. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eli Katunguka, accused them of instigating unrest, intimidating classmates, and burning tyres near the Banda campus.
The university further claimed the protest breached Regulation 15, which protects its reputation, and Regulation 19, which mandates prior approval for demonstrations.
Legal Trouble Follows the Kyambogo University Student Protest
The Kyambogo University student protest did not stop at campus boundaries. Police arrested 10 students and charged them in the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court with unlawful assembly and inciting violence.
The students were briefly remanded to Luzira Prison but later released on Shs100,000 cash bail. Their court appearance drew national attention and intensified scrutiny of the university’s disciplinary actions.
Students Defend the Kyambogo University Protest as Just
Student leaders argued the protest was peaceful and necessary. Speaking during the demonstration, Akiso stated, “Most students here come from humble backgrounds. We consulted widely and acted with their support.”
He maintained that their actions aimed to prompt constructive dialogue with management. “We are not troublemakers—we want solutions, not suspensions,” he said.
What’s Next After the Kyambogo University Student Protest?
With exams approaching, the suspension places students’ academic futures at risk. Critics of the university’s response say authorities should engage with students, not punish them for raising legitimate concerns.
The Kyambogo University student protest has now become a symbol of broader struggles in Uganda’s higher education—between rising costs, administrative rigidity, and the voices of young people demanding change.
Whether this leads to reform or more repression depends on how university leadership chooses to respond in the coming weeks.
