Ntare School Students Engage Police In Running Battles

 Police officers outside the Ntare school main gate trying to bring the situation under control

Students of Ntare School in Kamukuzi division in Mbarara municipality have revived their historical clashes with students of Mbarara High school. On Monday, over 1000 students of Ntare School armed with sticks, Pangas and stones raided Mbarara high school in Ruharo parish, two kilometers away and assaulted the students there. The students were later repulsed by anti riot police that fired tear gas.
However, the students engaged police in running battles for close to six hours as they played hide and seek in Kamukuzi division. They later ganged up and stormed Mbarara United Pentecostal primary school when they ordered the headmaster Milton Batekateka to disperse pupils and close the school. Batekateka says the students uprooted trees in the school compound, posters and vandalized several structures.
The fight between Ntare School and Mbarara high school started on Saturday after Ntare lost of their rivarls. After winning the trophy, the students of led a procession passed Ntare School on Sunday to celebrate their victory. The students of Ntare School wouldn’t have any of this. They responded by smashing the window screens of Mbarara high school as they pelted the students in the procession with stones. It took the intervention of police to protect the students of Mbarara High school.
John Agaba, the head teacher Mbarara high school says that about 200 students from his school also raided Ntare School on Sunday during a heavy down pour to avenge the attack and smashed windscreens of four vehicle indlcuing the school truck. They also smashed the window panes of the golden jubilee hall and state house, which accommodates the prefect body before retreating to their school at around 3.30am. According to Agaba, the clashes between students from both schools had ceased for long, but Ntare has resurrected them.
Jimmy Turyagyenda, the head teacher Ntare secondary school has defended his students saying they are not violent but were only provoked by their rivals. He says that they are doing everything possible to bring the students to order and resume studies on Tuesday. Police has deployed at both schools to prevent fresh counter attacks. Poly Namaye, the Rwizi regional police spokesperson says that 14 students from Ntare School and 2 from Mbarara high
 school have been arrested for destroying school property and injuring police officers on duty.