By Bill Dan Arnold Borodi
Uganda Christian University (UCU) officially announced Samantha Mwesigye as its 27th Guild President following a decisive election held on November 22, 2024.
The election, characterized by a two-horse race for the highest student seat, saw Mwesigye, representing the School of Law, secure a significant victory with 1,189 votes, translating to 62.35%, while her opponent Lynn Abaasa from the School of Nursing garnered 718 votes (37.65%).
The announcement of Mwesigye’s victory was made by Ms Pamela Tumwebaze, the Director of Students’ Affairs (DOSA), amid a charged atmosphere at the tally center in Nkyoyoyo Hall. Students erupted in jubilation, with some lifted chairs in celebration.
In her victory speech, an energetic Mwesigye expressed gratitude to her campaign team, Tusonge Mbele.
“Team Samantha, you are a formidable team. You fought a good fight and we have emerged victorious because of that,” she stated.
Mwesigye emphasized her commitment to the student body, promising that their votes and efforts would not be in vain.
“The 27th Guild Government will be the most impactful government in UCU history,” she asserted. “I will serve the students of UCU well; whatever battles emerge, I will fulfill the manifesto I promised.”
Despite the enthusiasm surrounding her election especially around Nkyoyoyo hall, the voter turnout was notably low. Out of 11,729 verified students eligible to vote, only 1,907 participated in the election, leaving a staggering 9,822 students who did not engage in the electoral process. This trend mirrors previous years’ participation rates.
Compounding the low turnout was a series of technical challenges during the election process. Originally scheduled to run from 9am to 5pm according to the electoral commission’s roadmap, voting commenced at 10:10am and concluded at 6:36pm. The process was extended for an additional two hours until 8:36pm due to inconsistencies with the Alpha system in generating voting codes.
Students were required to line up at M block to collect physical codes, which contributed to delays and frustration. Eventually the voting was concluded and Mwesigye announced winner. The electoral roadmap began with a launch on October 14, followed by nominations on October 22 and 23, vetting sessions on October 28 and 30, and joint board vetting on November 1, where Mwesigye and Abassa were confirmed as candidates before campaigns officially kicked off on November 6 and culminated in polling on November 22.
The swearing-in ceremony for Mwesigye and her Guild government took place on November 26, 2024, during the last community worship service of the Advent semester.
In his address to the newly elected leaders, UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi congratulated them on their success and urged them to focus on improving the university environment.
“Your focus should be on making the university even better than you found it,” Prof. Mushengyezi advised. He also reminded Mwesigye’s administration about the significant budget controlled by the government and underscored the importance of transparency and accountability in their governance.
“We make a concise effort as management to work with guild leaders as a team; my office is open to you any time,” he added assuring the audience about why UCU doesn’t witness strikes.
The MPs who were elected are expected to have their first sitting to elect a Speaker, and Deputy Speaker.
According to the electoral roadmap, vetting of presidential appointees by parliament (Vice President, Cabinet Ministers , tribunal and Electoral Commission) for the 27th Guild government is expected to take place between 28th November and 2nd December 2024.
The handover from the administration of the 26th Guild to the to the 27th Guild is expected to take place during the first church service of the Easter Semester in January 2025.
Initially, five students vied for the position of Guild President, including Ivan Tamale Nkoyoyo and Samantha Mwesigye from the School of Law, Lynn Abassa from the School of Nursing, Joselyne Kulume from the School of Social Sciences, and Abraham Roy Kamusiime from the School of Business.
As Mwesigye embarks on her tenure as Guild President, she inherits both challenges and opportunities from the 26th Guild government and her promise of an impactful administration will be closely watched.
In related news, Guild elections were also held at UCU’s Kampala campus, and Mwima Ivan Hiire emerged victorious as Guild President with 486 votes (58%) against Alinda Aaron with 352 votes (42%).
Additionally, Usher Bennets Lewis won the Guild elections at Uganda Christian University-Bishop Barham University College (UCU-BBUC) for the 2024-2025 academic year. Lewis secured his position with 176 votes (39%), followed closely by Derrick Akampa with 162 votes (36%), and Isaac Ampurira with 111 votes (25%).
Gerald Irimaso, chairman of the electoral commission, expressed concern over voter turnout. In UCU-BBUC’s election, out of 1,000 printed ballot papers and 753 validated voters, only 451 students cast their votes.
