KOBOKO: West Nile Region Police Spokesperson SP Josephine Angucia on Saturday, March 19, 2022, said police have observed that recently, strikes have become a new trend amongst students in West Nile schools, as a way of expressing their grievances against school administrators, a trend that has now been copied by other students in day schools.
The claim comes after students of Koboko town college school in Koboko Municipality, Koboko District striked due to the dismissal of their colleagues for indiscipline amongst other reasons.
Police Spokesperson Angucia said the strike happened on the night between March 18 and 19, 2022. “Police were informed about the incident and rushed to the school. The officers were able to stop it but the students had already destroyed school fences, burnt food stores, destroyed the school latrines, smashed school glasses, proceeded to destroy houses at teachers’ quarters.”
“The male students ran out of school and returned in the morning of Saturday 19. Police arrested 8 students and 2 civilian neighbours to assist with investigations,” she added, noting that the 10 suspects are detained at Koboko CPS as inquiries into the matter continue.
Proceeding the strike, the school administration sent the students home and closed the school to pave way for investigations and enable the school management to get a way forward. Currently, police are maintaining deployment at the school to monitor the situation.
On behalf of the West Nile police, Angucia has warned students against strikes as they are not only barbaric and costly to the parents, but also unlawful.
“Section 73 of the Penal Code Act says that any person who, being riotously assembled, unlawfully damage any building, railway, machinery, structure or property commits a felony and is liable to imprisonment for seven years,” she quoted.