By Ian Ortega
Only 5 Policemen had been deployed for the Kyambogo vs Makerere Football Match. It was clear right from the start that the students will overwhelm these policemen. Only two of these were armed. Only one of these had a tear gas canister. Sooner or later, violence was meant to ensue.
The match was meant to begin at 2pm, it didn’t. By 4pm, it took the student leaders from both sides to try and calm their colleagues and convince them to stay off the pitch.
But this was not about to help. Minutes later, the gates to the pitch were locked. Punches were exchanged, students were stoning each other, some using logs to hit each other. Others carried metallic objects. Two students were carrying axes, another was carrying a panga. Not a single policeman was concerned about stopping students from bringing in such weapons.
Within no time, two girls had their faces smashed, many were injured. The Police only had rubber bullets which it fired in the air.
Hours later, Sam Omara and his Patrol Team came over to Kyambogo to help escort the Makerere Team out of the University. Again, the students continued to provoke each other. Tear gas was fired. And once again, it went down in history that a Kyambogo vs Makerere match will never happen peacefully.
I should say, the Makerere University students provoked those of Kyambogo in the first place. They kept on attacking them in their side until the Kyambogo fellows could hold their peace no more. The Police had failed in its job of keeping law and order.
Whether the match will ever happen again, that’s a question that can’t be answered now.
