National Unity Platform – NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has condemned the manner in which Police arrested arrest of seven Makerere University students including two guild presidential aspirants.

The seven including Vice Guild President Margaret Nattabi, and Guild Minister for Information Muzafaluh Kabuulwa were arrested at Emerald Hotel where they had gathered to address a press conference.

Police said they were charged with holding an illegal assembly.

The students’ leaders most of whom are NUP leaning are accusing the University administration of impeding their freedom of association by depriving them of their right to associate with their preferred political parties and forbidding them from conducting in-person political campaigns during elections.

Despite the justification for conducting the arrests, police has been faulted by former Presidential candidate Kyagulanyi over the manner in which they conducted the arrests. Kyagulanyi went ahead to refer to Police men as “thugs in uniform.”

“But how can this become so normal in our country? Daily, we’re treated to these criminal actions by thugs in uniform! Ordinarily, these are incidents that jolt citizens into action. I remain hopeful that one of these days, Museveni will press a button that will be his Waterloo,” Kyagulanyi wrote on Social Media.

The arrests came a few days after the disqualification of two Candidates from the forthcoming Guild election slated for April 14 2023 for allegedly holding a public debate in contravention of the students’ guild statute, which stipulates declared that student elections at the University shall be virtual unless otherwise determined by the University council.

The two candidates include National Unity platform- NUP flag bearer Margaret Nattabi and independent candidate Sulaiman Namwoza who were part of the 11 nominated Candidates.