By Simon Komakech
Gulu Central High School in Gulu City has been closed off for two weeks following a violent students` strike over a football match on Sunday night. The decision was reached at during an emergency meeting convened by the Gulu City Education department, security and Uganda Students Association at the school premises on Monday morning.
Denis Odongpiny Odwong, the Gulu Resident City Commissioner, says that they resolved to close the school for two weeks effective immediately.
Odongpiny noted that the move is to allow sanity to return to the school, assess the magnitude of the damage resulting from the strike and conduct minor renovations.
Richard Irwenyo, the Principal Inspector of Schools in Gulu City, who chaired the meeting expressed sadness over the incident. He cautioned schools against promoting watching football among other shows.
He said that they were still planning on how students from distant places and outside the country can be assisted by the management to safely return to their homes. The RCC revealed that the UPDF soldier who shot the bullet that killed a senior three student identified as Gabriel Rwotomiya during the strike has also been arrested.
Odwong, however, declined to reveal the identity of the suspect.
But whereas Odwong declined to name the officers, Kampala Gazette has it on good record that the officers are: Lt. Oryema John Obitand Pvt. Otoo Denis Ochola.
Deep throat sources say the pair are being held at the 4th Division headquarters in Gulu.
The deceased’s student whose body is lying at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital was reportedly shot while atop a mango tree within the school compound. Other students are nursing injuries at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital while others are still unconscious, the majority being girls.
According to a security report, the students wanted the school administration to screen an English football match between Manchester City and Manchester United. The school administration, on the other hand, dictated that the students go to class for evening preps. It is then that a disagreement started, leading up to destructions in strike.
