{UAH} Rwandan students stranded after closure of Kigezi High School

Rwandan students stranded after closure of Kigezi High School

FRIDAY MARCH 15 2019

     

Students of Kigezi high school gathered at the school gate after the police and the school administration sent them home. PHOTO BY ROBERT MUHEREZA 

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By Robert Muhereza

About 12 Rwandan students were on Friday stranded at Kigezi High School after the school administration decided to close the school until further notice. The school has been closed because the students were intending to strike after they were banned from participating in the forthcoming Copa Coca-cola football competitions in the district.
While other students were carrying their belongings outside the school's gate that was being manned by the police, the Rwandan students camped at the office of the head master seeking help.
"We are worried that if we cross to Rwanda, we shall not be allowed to come back because of the recent directive form the government restricting Rwandans from entering Uganda. We need mercy from the school administrators because we still love to study in Uganda," one of the Rwandan students said on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised.
Three weeks ago, the Rwandan government closed its borders with Uganda
at Cyanika and Gatuna border posts and stopped all its nationals from entering
Uganda.
The school head teacher Mr Stephen Mugume and the Kabale District police commander Mr Donald Muhwezi advised them to stay at their relatives' homes because the school was closed for all students until the parents' meeting, that is yet to sit, decides the best way forward.
About 589 students were on Friday morning sent home after the police foiled their attempted strike which they hatched on Thursday as they protested the decision of their school administration banning them from participating in the 
football competitions that are scheduled to begin next week.
The head teacher, Mr Stephen Mugume, said that it was the decision of the board of governors to stop the students from participating in the football competition.
"The school board of governors meeting chaired by Dr Medard Rugyendo early this week resolved to stop the students from participating from the Copa Coca-cola foot ball competitions because its a costly venture and besides its diverting the students from academics. Its true Kigezi High School is the defending champion for the last years at Copa coca-cola at district and regional level but the academic performance of the students was demoralising as we only got 28
students in grade one out of 160 students that sat for Uganda Certificate of Education and yet they have been among the academic giants in the region," Mr Mugume said. He added that last year, as the students returned to the school after they were declared the winners of the football competitions, for Kigezi region, the school bus was pelted with stones and all the glass windows destroyed by unknown people. 
Mugume said that because of the poor academic performance and 
concentration on games and sports, the school enrollment has reduced
from 1,200, three years ago to 589 as of today.

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