Four Makerere University students have taken the University Council to court considering the suspension of the guild Elections.
The four students are; Shamim Nambassa the current Guild President, Lawel Muhwezi, Kelvin Luyombya, and Muzafaluh Kabuulwa.
The court hearing will take place today Monday 19th September, 2022 at 9:00 O’clock in the fore afternoon as stated by the High Court.
The students filed the case at the High Court Civil Division seeking for a declaration that the suspension of guild elections, students’ guild, care taker government and the senior common room was illegal, which is contrary with the 1995 Constitution, the University and other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001, and the Makerere University Guild constitution.
On the same issue the plaintiffs have sued Mrs. Lorna Magara, the University Council chairperson and the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.
They also want Court to declare Vice Chancellor Prof Nawangwe’s suspension of Sulaiman Namwoza, the Lumumba Hall speaker illegal.
Namwoza was suspended on grounds that he organized an illegal online meeting with the student leaders at a time when the students leadership was banned at Makerere University.
They also want Court to declare that the process of reviewing and amendment of the Makerere University Students Guild’s constitution without involving the students illegal.
The University Council resolved to review a section of the Guild constitution. According to the council, students were supposed to vote for a constitutional Review Commission through universal suffrage in every college, and hall of residence.
The commission had to include representatives from each of the colleges, each of the halls of residence, Jinja Campus, and disabled students. The University council further noted that the constitution review commission shall provide students leadership at the university in the interim, but students argue that they never took part in these elections.
It should be noted that in July2022, Makerere University suspended the guild election that were supposed to take place on July 15, 2022 after chaos erupted between the two camps of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) during the final guild rally at Makerere’s Rugby grounds that led to the death of a UCU law student, Betungura Bewatti.
