The race to fill the Guild Representative Council (GRC) seat for Mary Stuart Hall has ended in emphatic fashion, with Hannah Karema Tumukunde cruising to a commanding victory in the 92nd GRC by-election held virtually on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 — a result that doubles as a striking political comeback.
The Office of the Dean of Students officially declared the results, confirming Tumukunde — a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences (BASS) student in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) — as the new representative after she swept 330 votes, equivalent to a dominant 68.5% of the ballots cast.
A Familiar Name on Makerere’s Biggest Stage
For those who followed the last guild electoral season, Tumukunde is no newcomer to high-stakes campus politics. She previously contested for the influential position of Guild President in the 92nd Guild race, losing to Gracious Kadondi in one of the season’s most closely watched contests.
Her decisive return to win the Mary Stuart Hall GRC seat by such a wide margin marks a notable comeback, signalling that her support base within the hall remains firmly intact despite the earlier defeat at the university-wide level. Where the presidency slipped away, her own hall has now handed her a resounding mandate.
A One-Sided Contest
The numbers tell the story of a race that was effectively over before it began. Tumukunde’s nearest challenger, Abu Lucky Rukia, a student in the College of Health Sciences (CHS), managed 63 votes (13.10%) to finish a distant second.
Ahereza Sheba of the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) came third with 47 votes (9.80%), followed by Najjuma Aisha (CHUSS) in fourth with 26 votes (5.40%), and Alule Jolly from the School of Law in fifth with 16 votes (3.30%).
The Turnout
Of the 807 eligible voters in Mary Stuart Hall, 482 cast their ballots, leaving 325 votes unused. That translated to a voter turnout of 59.70% — a respectable showing for a by-election conducted virtually.
The results were announced in an official communication from Dean of Students Winifred Kabumbuli, with copies forwarded to the Vice Chancellor, the DVC (Finance and Administration), the Chairperson of the Students Affairs Committee, the University Secretary, the University Bursars, and notably, the 92nd Guild President and Guild Speaker.
The Backstory: A Seat Born of Protest
This by-election did not happen in a vacuum. The Mary Stuart Hall GRC seat fell vacant after the dramatic protest resignation of Jemmimah Namubiru, who stepped down accusing the 92nd guild government of sidelining elected leaders and reducing the GRC to a “ceremonial body.”
Namubiru’s departure — and her pointed claim that “the voice of the hall is silenced before it even leaves the room” — placed an unusual spotlight on what would otherwise have been a routine hall election. Her successor now inherits not just a seat, but the weight of those grievances and the expectations they raised among Mary Stuart Hall residents.
What Lies Ahead for Tumukunde
With a mandate as strong as 68.5%, Tumukunde Hannah enters the Guild Representative Council carrying both a clear show of confidence from her hall and the political experience of a former presidential contender. But the real test begins now.
The 92nd Guild House she joins has been criticised for inactivity — having convened only a handful of sittings and failing to approve its budget. Whether the new representative can navigate the very frustrations that pushed her predecessor out will be closely watched by the students who turned out in their hundreds to elect her.
For a leader who fell short of the presidency only to return with one of the most emphatic margins of the season, the comeback is already written. What she does with it is the next chapter.
