By Bill Dan Arnold Borodi
The 27th Guild Parliament has rejected the list of presidential appointees for various posts in the parliament, leading to the cancellation of the vetting process that was scheduled for January 4th.
A memo from the office of the Guild Speaker stated that the vetting of Guild appointees which was scheduled for 4th January, 2025 would not take place as earlier communicated. “This decision followed the 2nd parliamentary sitting on the same day which started at 8:30am. As the 27th Guild Parliament, we send out our sincere apologies for any inconveniences caused. The vetting date and time will be communicated in due course,” the memo said.
While no official reason was provided for the cancellation of the vetting session, information provided, revealed that members of parliament (MPs) voted against the appointees during the session.
According to our sources, a motion to reject the list of presidential appointees was moved by Hon. Pascal Praise Mumbere from the School of Journalism, Media and Communication during the virtual parliamentary session and seconded by several MPs, including Hon. Job Mulenzimuto, Hon. Marvin Murungi, Hon. Precious Gift Ajuna, Hon. Emmanuel John Angu, Hon. Elvis William Ssegawa, and Hon. William Lawrence. The vote was conducted via secret ballot, with 63% of the 19 MPs casting their votes in favour of sending the list back to the president for reconsideration. 6 Members of parliament shied away from voting
The rejection of the appointees was primarily attributed to concerns regarding representation and qualifications.
MPs expressed dissatisfaction with the cabinet’s composition, noting that a majority of appointees came from a single institution — the law school — and were predominantly from the same year and stream. This raised concerns about balancing representation across different faculties.
Top government positions
Questions were also raised about the concentration of power among classmates in top government positions. MPs highlighted potential conflicts that could arise if key officials were all engaged in examinations simultaneously.
The appointment of former Education Minister Hon. Ezra Lwanga to Minister of ICT drew scrutiny, with MPs questioning why other students were not given opportunities for leadership roles, given Lwanga’s extensive history in previous guild governments.
The selection for Minister of Foreign Affairs was criticised for not being reserved for an international student, while concerns were also raised regarding the qualifications of the appointee for Minister of Sports, who lacked a background in sports.
In addition to cabinet appointments, discussions also centered on tribunal appointments. The Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Joseph Tenywa Michael stated that he would not compromise on this matter and highlighted the critical role tribunal members play in adjudicating student cases. He urged that tribunal appointees should be selected by the Guild President in consultation with the Dean of the School of Law, subject to parliamentary approval and backed by a recommendation letter from the dean, or have a practicing certificate from Uganda Law Council.
Guild President Samantha Mwesigye is expected to submit a revised list of appointees to parliament soon; however, the Speaker advised her to take adequate time to ensure a more balanced selection. According to Article 35(5) of the Uganda Christian University Students’ Guild Constitution as Amended 2012, cabinet ministers must be appointed within seven days following the president’s swearing-in. Mwesigye was sworn in on November 26th, 2024, making it over 30 days since she was sworn in.
The President released the list of appointments on January 3rd, 2025 in a memo to the students’ community after seeking applications from them. She said 200 students applied for different positions.
