By Nathanael Simbilyabo
Jeremy Mugabi has been elected the 29th Guild President of Uganda Christian University (UCU), securing 3,362 votes in an election that recorded a voter turnout of 42.32 per cent.
Mugabi, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science student, defeated Daphine Kuhirwa, a Bachelor of Laws student, who received 1,587 votes out of the 4,949 ballots cast. The results gave Mugabi 67.93 per cent of the vote against Kuhirwa’s 32.07 per cent.
The electoral process, which began on October 2, will conclude with the swearing-in of the newly elected leaders.
In his first remarks after the announcement, Mugabi thanked students for their participation and pledged to fulfil the commitments outlined in his manifesto.
“Thank you so much for turning up and voting for me. Whatever I said in my manifesto, I am going to make it become true,” he said.
The election recorded an increase in voter participation from 29.8 per cent in the previous guild election to 42.32 per cent this year.
Basemererwa Keith, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission for the 28th Guild Government, said the turnout exceeded his target of increasing participation by 10 percentage points.
He attributed the improvement to civic education and collaboration with different university offices. He also described the election as free and fair, saying complaints raised during voting were addressed through help desks established at the university and Letali Centre, with support from the University’s Information Systems team.
Beyond the Guild Presidency, students elected representatives to the Guild Parliament across different academic schools and student categories. Catherine Ampaire won the parliamentary seat for Health Sciences with 308 votes, while Aber Sunday was elected unopposed as MP for Education.
Meanwhile, Nakamya Rachel, representing the Directorate of Student Affairs (DOSA), called for unity among students following the election. She encouraged the incoming government to incorporate ideas from unsuccessful candidates, saying their manifestos contained proposals that could benefit the wider student community.
“I would want to encourage the team, the camp that has won, that they can incorporate the people that have not made it. Because their manifestos were good, they had good ideas,” she said.
Students who supported the unsuccessful candidate also expressed acceptance of the results. Joshua, a third-year Bachelor of Laws student who supported Kuhirwa, said he believed the election was fair and reflected the voters’ choices.
Meanwhile, Nelly, a third-year Law student who requested anonymity, said she supported Mugabi because of his vision, humility and intelligence. She also described the voting process as smooth, adding that students expected the new government to deliver meaningful change.
As the 29th Guild Government prepares to take office, Mugabi faces the task of translating his campaign promises into action while bringing together students who supported both candidates.
