LDC asks police to foil today’s students demonstration

The management of the Law Development Center (LDC), has written to the Inspector General of Police seeking his intervention and foil a demonstration by students today, Thursday.

Students led by Kenneth Mugarura in a November 15 letter threatened to protest the refusal by LDC to release results who in August sat for examinations under a temporary injunction order of the High Court in Kampala but the institution decline to release them awaiting a final determination of the court.

However, in a letter to the police chief, the LDC Secretary Didas Bakunzi said the demonstration should not be held at the campus because it has over 2000 students who are currently engaged in various activities including lectures and examinations which would be interrupted by the demonstration.

“We wish to point out that we strongly object the intending meeting, procession and demonstration because section 5 (3) of the Public Order Management Act 2013, requires the organisers of a public meeting demonstration to seek and obtain the consent of the owner of the proposed venue which Mr Mugarura has neither sought not obtained,” Bakunzi’s letter reads in part.

He adds that LDC also houses a Grade One Magistrate court making it a restricted area where no demonstration is allowed.

“Section 13 of the Act lists courts of judicature among the restricted areas whose precincts demonstrations are prohibited. Holding a demonstration in a restricted area is sanctioned as an offence under the Act. Holding a demonstration is therefore illegal.”

“Take the necessary measures to protect the main campus of the LDC from the breach of peace threatened by the intending demonstrations. It’s surprising that the intending demonstrators now seek to demonstrate against the effect of a court order that they themselves sought, obtained and benefited from.”

According to the lead demonstrator, Kenneth Mugarura, they are intending to meet at the institution from where they will match to petition the Speaker of Parliament about their grievances.

The Law Development Centre recently released the results of the students for the academic year 2018/19, but results for students who sat following a court order had theirs withheld until the main case is disposed of.

The Uganda Law Society president, Simon Peter Kinobe recently advised all parties to wait for the court ruling on December 9.

“There will be sufficient time to implement any decision of the court including graduating any students who qualify and commit to help,” the ULS president said.

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