The situation at Kabale University was tense on Saturday as Godfrey Niwamanya, a guild contestant and National Resistence Movement (NRM) flag bearer emerged winner of the chaotic guild presidential elections, defeating People Power’s Henry Mponimpa which resulted in Police firing teargas and live bullets in the air to disperse a mob of violent students.
According to reports, the opposition supporters became violent during the elections due to alleged vote rigging which they claimed was in favour of the NRM party and due to the electoral commission’s failure to come to an agreement with the angry students.
The University Electoral Commission chairperson, Samuel Tayebwa later that evening declared Niwamanya the winner of the conducted elections with 831 votes beating his opponent, Mbonimpa who attained 670 votes.
However, the results were received with very mixed reactions amongst the students. Speaking to Campus Bee about his take on the concluded elections, Mbonimpa, the People Power guild aspirant said that the exercise was tainted with voter bribery and rigging at the polling stations.
Charles Sendegeya, the Kabale University Dean of Students said however, that the elections were free and fair as there wasn’t any form of vote rigging.
It’s not later than a month after Police interrupted and tried to block the nomination of the People Power candidate, Mbonimpa and that raised the doubts about the just concluded university elections results amongst students.
