Two Makerere Guild Aspirants Ms Margaret Nattabi and Mr Sulaiman Namwoza all affiliated to the National Unity Platform (NUP) party have been disqualified from the 89th Makerere University Guild race by the chairperson of the students’ electoral commission on allegations of holding an illegal gathering.
The Leader of the National Unity Platform in the country Mr. Kyagulanyi Robert Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine had his comments on the same issue on his Twitter platform where he said;
“Got news that @Makerere has disqualified @NUP_Ug’s Nattabi Margaret from the students’ guild race. This is an affront to the sacred concept of academic freedom and the constitutional rights to speech & association that any academic institution must guard with its very existence.” Bobi Wine tweeted.
The letter from the office of the Makerere electoral commission stated the candidates are allegedly held an illegal meeting known as “Kimeza” at Mitchell Hall on the night of April 5, in which it resulted into a scuffle where one of the students known as Robert Sserunjogi, a second year student from the College of Natural Science, was severely injured by some students who are not yet known.
The electoral commission chairperson, Mr Levi Tshilumba said both aspirants were taking part in the Kimeza meeting which is contrary to Section 10 (b) of the new students’ guild statute, 2022 and Article 67 (1) (b) of the Makerere students’ guild constitution, 2022.
Efforts to get comments from the EC were in vain as he did not responded to my repeated phone calls.
However, Ms Nataabi Magaret tweeted on her Twitter handle saying “Makerere University has suspended Namwoza and myself from the ongoing Guild Presidential race.My only stated crime is being the flag bearer of the @NUP_Ug and exercising my freedom of association.Makerere is under siege and we must Stop the Invasion.”
Bobi Wine said, “It’s a shame that the University’s myopic leaders are now sacrificing at the altar of political expediency the very freedoms that secured them their current jobs in the first place! If they have any shame, they should reconsider the decision as it sets a terrible precedent.”
In the letter 7th April, 2023, Mr. Levi Tshilumba warned all the guild Aspirants to disassociate themselves from Partisan politics according to the Makerere University students Guild statute 2022, Section 6.2 stipulates that the Makerere Students Guild shall be non partisan, non- discriminational, non-violent and shall be open to all students of makerere university without discrimination.
Kyagulanyi went on to say that “Comrade Nattabi and other similarly affected candidates should be left to participate in the guild race without being persecuted for their political affiliations!” Kyagulanyi’s tweeted
He added, “Academic freedom requires that students should be able to express themselves freely without fear of repression. Only then can institutions of higher learning achieve their purpose as guardians of reason and inquiry. It reinforces the protection our Constitution guarantees for any citizen to freely express their opinions and associate with any group of their choice.”
Both candidates are National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters who wanted to contest on the same ticket but the party endorsed Nattabi making Namwoza go as an independent candidate.
With the disqualification of the two candidates nine spirants have been left in the race and these include; Mr Sabiiti Akankunda, Mr Julius Birigwa, Mr Robert Maseruka, Ms Baraka Nkoyooyo and Mr Oremo Odwee Hillary,Mr Mark Ssebunya, Mr Andrew Lubinga, Mr Evans Murungi and Mr Emmanuel Wanyama.
The 89th guild elections will be carried out on April 14 virtually where the students fraternity will vote for their next Guild President.
