By Agatha N Biira
The president of the Uganda National Students Association (UNSA), Yusuf Welonga, has advised students to explore other available avenues before thinking about strikes.
Welunga says students tend to make strikes at the first option, which is wrong. “Demonstrating is good. I have no objection to that provided you have utilized all the available avenues and failed, “Welunga said at the UNSA sitting on July 02, at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
He says they petitioned the office of the speaker of parliament, proposing that they (parliament) come up with a bill to prevent or stop the security officials from using live ammunition and explosive canisters within schools and student areas of residence. Unfortunately, this has not yet been worked on.
“Recently, we met with the Deputy Speaker on the issue of the petition but he said he would engage in a meeting with the Speaker since that is who it was addressed to.” They are running away from it. We even wrote to the office of the Minister of Education with the hope of presenting these views to her, but we have never been given attention to meet, “Welunga said.
He requested the Commissioner for Higher Education, Muzamilu Mukwatampola, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education at the function, to arrange for them a meeting with the First Lady and also follow up on the petition they made.
“Why do we need to run to other ministries yet we have the Minister of Education?” We need to meet and present these issues to her,” Welunga said.
Mukwatampola said there is a need for peaceful resolution of student issues without necessarily making strikes the first option. “Leaders need to think about other options that can be used to achieve the aspirations of the students and not bring in strikes as the last option,” Mukwatampola said.
The Chairperson of the National Youth Council, Jacob Eyeru, while addressing the issue of strikes, said it is time for the young leaders to show that they understand process, protocol, and organization. “Let us organize and lead the generation forward,” Eyeru said.
Eyeru added that If UNSA is sitting, they should invite the entire executive of the National Youth Council and all members of parliament representing the young people. They have a budget and these are issues they should be addressing.
UNSA is a national student body for students in post-primary institutions in Uganda and outside Uganda in both government-aided and private institutions that helps to foster the mobilization of students towards issues pertaining to their welfare and national development.
