By Israel Kisakye
For as long as she remembers, Uganda Christian University (UCU) student, Maria Speria Nakigudde, has been a leader at school. On many occasions, the leadership positions have given her the privilege of engaging school administrators on matters concerning fellow students. She also has had the honor of representing her colleagues at management meetings.
She also has paid the not-so-positive price of being a student leader.
In 2013, while serving as the health prefect at her school, St. Mary’s Vocational School, Kyamuhunga, located in western Uganda, Nakigudde was appointed to the school’s disciplinary committee, as a students’ representative. Whereas her role on the committee was well defined, some of the undisciplined students viewed her as a mole among the students.
She said most students did not like her because she was tough and always stood on the side of the truth, a stance some students found difficult. However, such awkward situations only motivated her to develop a thick skin as a leader. In fact, when she went to attend A’level at Immaculate Heart Girls’ School in Rukungiri district, western Uganda, from 2016 to 2018, Nakigudde was appointed to a similar role, which she gladly accepted. She was appointed as a member of the school’s court, which was tasked with guiding and counseling some of the school’s undisciplined students.
The experience Nakigudde has garnered over time, including the leadership positions she has held at UCU, where the 22-year-old is pursuing a Bachelor of Laws, has helped to provide her with invaluable opportunities to hone her leadership skills.
At UCU, Nakigudde has served in different leadership positions, including that of the Speaker for the Truth Debate Club. She has also been the secretary of the UCU Moot Court Society.
In August, the year-four law student used the skills she has acquired over time as a springboard to launch herself into national leadership. She contested for the position of Speaker of the National Youth Parliament of Uganda.
“I felt I was qualified for the position because I have previous leadership experience. I also thought I would make a good speaker who can elevate the voices of the youth,” Nakigudde said, noting that to prepare for the contest, she had to contend with dividing her time between internship and extensive travel to introduce herself to potential voters.
And she sailed through, becoming the country’s fifth speaker of the youth assembly. Beating out four other contestants was not all. Nakigudde, who said UCU has done a good job in nurturing her leadership skills and providing a conducive environment for exchange of ideas, also became the third consecutive UCU student to hold the position. She takes over from Ezra Ambasiize, who took the mantle while in fourth year, pursuing Bachelor of Laws at UCU. Abenawe Allan, the third speaker, handed over the mantle to Ambasiize. The position holder serves for one year.
The parliament offers political and legislative space and serves as a creative advocacy vehicle that brings together young people in Uganda, as well as youth-focused organizations to amplify youth voices to lawmakers.
In August, while seeking support for her candidature, Nakigudde promised to “share my determination, diligence and commitment at work to impact youth legislation and tailor inclusivity of the youth in policy making.”
Usually, the youth parliament holds one sitting per year. However, Nakigudde plans to push for a review of that, so that the sittings can be more.
She thanks the UCU fraternity for helping to popularize her candidature, noting that many students helped to distribute her fliers in August, as she introduced herself to the electorate.
Mirembe Racheal Sserwadda, the UCU Guild President, praised Nakigudde’s relentless attitude, saying: “Nakigudde is a go-getter, highly ambitious and focused on her goals. She is also extremely vocal.”
