Police are holding two students of Gulu University who were arrested Tuesday, for allegedly inciting violence.
The students identified as Job Tumusiimwe and Alumansi Katongole were part of the 672 government-sponsored students who were protesting against the administration over their food and living out allowances.
They claim that they did not receive their upkeep allowances during the first semester following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 lockdown.
The angry students accused the University of paying them only Shillings 670,000 instead of Shillings 880,000 in cumulative arears.
According to one of the affected students Genius Ibabaza who pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Medicine, the Government disburses Shillings 880,000 for each student yet the University is paying them less without any explanation.
Another student Shadic Ssempijja argued that when they reported back to University on November 1, 2021, they discovered that allowances sent to cater for rent, transport, internet and welfare were reduced yet their rent had been hiked.
However, the University Vice-Chancellor Prof. George Openyjuru Ladah says that the students are being paid Shillings 7,000 per day while at the campus in a semester, but that during the lockdown, the government-sponsored students were not entitled to any pay, thus the reduction.
David Ongom Mudong the Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson, confirmed the development, saying that they responded to an alarm by the University management who were locked up in their offices and surrounded by rowdy students.
The duo is currently detained at Gulu Central Police Station for inciting violence.
