A section of the students at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) Main Campus in Mbale City is questioning the declaration of sole candidates as Guild Leaders of 2021-2022 academic year.
The students say they were supposed to have elections to choose leaders of their choice.
According to students, the declaration of sole candidates by the university’s Electoral Commission has given a bad precedent to the institution.
“It is sad that a whole university can put in office students leaders without conducting elections. Who has voted for them? It is our right as students to elect leaders of our choice,” one student told Campus Bee.
The EC’s declaration has seen a second year student pursuing a Bachelor of Education becoming the 34th Guild President.
Traditionally, the university’s Shura Committee screens all nominated guild aspirants. The process involves all elective leaders such as Guild President, Lady Vice Guild President, Guild Speaker and Sports Minister.
For the first time, the Shura Committee have okayed one person per post in all positions except the post of Sports Minister that all nominated guild aspirants failed. The Committee scrutinizes the academic and religious competencies of all nominated guild aspirants.
The Shura Committee directed the Electoral Commission to announce the sole candidates as Guild leaders against some students request to have additional nominations. The EC called for the nominations three time but some students say it was hard to apply since the Shura Committee was not releasing results of the vetting process.
The elected Guild leaders will be sworn in on Thursday, 18th November, 2021. Other IUIU Campuses namely Females Campus and Kampala Campus successfully conducted the Guild elections.
