On 28th June 2020, Emmanuel Tegu a third year student of Makerere University was brutally beaten by LDUs in Makerere who were enforcing curfew time. Tegu was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Animal Production but he unfortunately breathed his last on 4th July after succumbing to multiple organ failure as a result of the wounds he sustained.
Since the lockdown was put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus , LDUs have subsequently got onto the bad side of many Ugandans because of their brutal and inhumane nature of handling situations. Tegu Emmanuel was their latest victim.
Ugandans have since said that they have had enough and they’re calling for the disarming of the LDUs because of the many sad circumstances that have happened because of how they misuse their guns. This prompted Ugandans on Twitter to start a hashtag calling for justice.
The #JusticeForTegu has attracted many Ugandans to take a stand against the LDU brutality. Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi responded to the hashtag saying, “In Uganda, the state has killed so many people in the name of enforcing COVID related restrictions! The latest victim according to eye witnesses was a 3rd year student of Makerere, #EmmanuelTegu, killed by LDU. We THE PEOPLE can & must stop this naked brutality. #justice4Tegu.”
He also went on to list some people who have also been victim to the LDUs and police like Vincent Serungi, Maragaret Namyunga, Wilber Kamono, Evelyn Namulondo, Charles Sanga and the list goes on and on.
However Uganda Police has come out in a statement saying that there are no LDUs in Makerere and that Tegu was killed by a mob that thought that he was a thief. They also say that they were unable to get a statement from the Late Tegu Emmanuel to understand why he was moving in the university past curfew time.
The hashtag however continues to grow on Twitter as Ugandans are very bitter and angry. Social media has been known to be used in the USA to protest police brutality and the last biggest protest was to have justice for George Floyd. Many Ugandans believe that what happened to George Floyd is not any different from what happened to Tegu Emmanuel.
May his soul Rest in eternal Peace.
