The top management of Victoria University has for the first time spoken on the recent arrest of the school’s Vice Chancellor Dr Lawrence Muganga by the military.
The army alleged that his arrest and subsequent detention on Thursday rotated around illegal stay in the country and espionage.
He was however, released on Friday from military detention.
STATEMENT
THE ARREST, DETENTION AND RELEASE OF THE AG. VICE CHANCELLOR DR. LAWRENCE MUGANGA
Victoria University is indebted to many people for their prayers and support for the release of our Ag. Vice Chancellor Dr. Lawrence Muganga following his arrest and detention on Thursday 2th September 2021.
We appreciate the efforts made by his family in a bid to get his release and remaining strong in face of such difficult circumstances.
The University notes with appreciation messages of support and encouragement from the wider Victoria University family and the media for keeping the ordeal of Dr. Muganga topical and demanding that the letter of the law should be upheld and the human rights of whoever resides in Uganda should be respected by security agencies. The totality of these efforts resulted in the release of Dr. Muganga and gives us reason to celebrate.
The unfortunate incident happened on Thursday 2″d September 2021, when armed men in civilian clothes led by one Denis Musumba (according to the National lD which he presented to Reception Desk)) entered the University premises on Plot 1-13 on J inja Road Kampala and arrested Dr. Lawrence Muganga and his body guard and whisked them off in a vehicle which headed towards Nakawa direction along I inja Road. The Personal Assistant to the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Herbert Kayongo, took off on a boda boda and followed the vehicle. He too was arrested. This was about 10.00 a.m.
The University community was cast in shock and panic. The University was not accorded any reason for the arrest.
After about one hour, Dr. Muganga was brought back to the University by men in UPDF uniforms and others in civilian wear and were travelling in what is commonly termed as ‘a drone’. They proceeded with Dr. Muganga, who was in handcuffs, to the office of the Vice Chancellor. The men were seen carrying a laptop from his office and they drove him off again.
The University expects all her staff to be law abiding but in case they are suspected to have broken the law and have to be arrested, they should be handled in accordance with lawful procedures.
The University condemns the manner of arrest of Dr. Muganga which did not follow the known lawful procedures of effecting arrest of a suspect.
We assure the general public, our dear staff, students and their parents and guardians that the University is calm and its programmes are running normally.