More than 500 students at Ntare School in Mbarara City, southwestern Uganda, have been suspended after staging a hunger strike over the expulsion of one of their colleagues.
According to the school’s head teacher, Saul Rwampororo, the suspended group—comprising Senior Three students—protested after their classmate was expelled earlier this week. He said the decision followed allegations of examination malpractice.
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“I explained to the students during assembly that the boy was suspended for cheating exams, but they refused to accept it. Instead, they kept clashing with the Senior Four candidates who are sitting their mock examinations,” Mr Rwampororo told reporters.
The head teacher said the students will undergo screening before returning to school, with leaders of the unrest likely to face further disciplinary measures.
However, some of the students disputed the official explanation, claiming their colleague was expelled because of his alleged interest in investigating reports of homosexuality at the school.
One student, speaking anonymously, alleged that the expelled boy had gathered information after four students were nearly attacked over suspected involvement in same-sex relations. “We don’t believe he was caught cheating because no one was removed from the examination room for malpractice,” the student said.
The strike began with the refusal of Senior Three students to eat supper, and escalated into confrontations with Senior Four and Senior Six students who were called in by teachers to help calm the situation. Witnesses said clashes involved stone-throwing and broken windows.
Later in the evening, tensions flared again when students attempted to watch a televised football match, but Senior Four candidates armed with sticks allegedly blocked their younger peers from accessing the entertainment hall.
Ntare School, one of Uganda’s most prominent boys’ schools, has recently faced student unrest linked to allegations of misconduct and internal tensions.
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