St. Mary’s College suspends 825 students over fight

Kabale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | St. Mary’s College Rushoroza in Kabale District has suspended 825 boys recently involved in inter-class fighting at school.

The students who were suspended on Saturday are from senior four, five, and six.  One of the students who spoke on condition of anonymity said that trouble started on Friday night at around 10:00 PM after students in senior four and six fought over space to watch television.

The students in candidate classes have their own television room separate from students from other classes. However, a student revealed that senior five students stormed the television room for students in candidate classes after one of the televisions developed a mechanical fault.

But candidate students protested that they cannot watch television in the same room with their juniors. Senior five students were overpowered and chased out. A fight erupted after senior five male students who were chased mobilized students and attacked the candidates.

Enock Hatangimana, Police Community Liaisons Officer in charge of the Kigezi region, says that the school administration alerted the police after trying to calm down the situation in vain.

According to Hatangimana, police investigations have also unearthed that some students have been having a feud with students in the candidate classes over extortion and bullying. He says that police investigation has found out that during the recent handover of students’ prefects, incoming prefects were charged 60,000 Shillings to receive instruments of power from the outgoing students.

He also says that male senior five students have been angry after they were charged 20,000 Shillings each by the senior six students in order to be given beds in dormitories.  He also says that candidate students have been angry following the expulsion of 25 students on accusations of bullying.

Remegio Byamukama, school head teacher declined to comment on the incident. An official at the school who preferred anonymity said that the suspended students are likely to return to school with their parents after two weeks.

Anti-riot police are still deployed at the school.

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