The political season in Gulu University is still on a rise as it started from Guild elections to court blocking activities of Guild Government and now we had the elections for the chairperson Games Union. This is an almost independent arm of guild government that collects its charges from every student at a fee of 13,000/= to 30,000/=. The selection of voters is controversial and always attracts criticism from all students, who pay sports fee but never vote for the leaders of Games Union. The voters must have participated in any recognized university sport and many are subjected to scrutiny while others were asked to present their certificates of participation in any sports, before being included on voting register.
Election was marred with propaganda and misunderstanding that prompted the Dean of students Mr. Mpora, to shift polling station from famous Ocwee Memorial Hostel to New Site Faculty of medicine, after heated discussions. The constitution of Games Union allows for only a single Central polling station yet there were two stations; one at main campus and other at Ocwee Hostel.
This was a highly contested race between two influential candidates -Muyanga Mark the chairperson of Mamba Campaign Consultants who also played a role in bringing the current guild government to power and Mr. Cherop Charles who has been a Coach in different sports and an athlete. The race attracted mixed reactions from supporters, of the two candidates. Some voted on lines of competence while others blamed candidates for their past ‘crimes’. All candidates were accused of ‘atrocities’, in past, against students like cheating a faculty in sports or denying and clashing faculties against each other in order to pass an aspirant.
The famous Ocwee hostel, for Medicine students, went dead silent the whole evening when they received news that Muyanga Mark, medical student, lost to Cherop from faculty of education. Much as medical students voted in solidarity with Cherop getting 14 votes and Muyanga securing rest of votes-101 votes, Muyanga couldn’t beat his opponent who secured lots of votes from Main Campus Students. Other students have accused faculty of medicine for taking all positions. “Medical school has Guild President and Prime Minister. And now they want Games Union”, a student wrote. Aspirants for new posts like Chief Editor for Guild will have to overcome these sentiments. Congratulations to Chirop Charles.
