Guild Elections in Makerere University are by far the most heated and passion-field events in the varsity every year. Students reach the extent of harming each other just to make sure the candidate they support wins the tug-of-war. Some do it with ambitions of gaining Ministries in the winner’s government, others financial tokens and most just for the mere love of it.
Right from the time when Ndamwesiga Ian was appointed Prime Minister by the then newly elected Guild President, Kato Paul, majority of the students from KP’s task force, and also leaders from his party FDC both in the university chapter and national level, questioned this decision. Hon. Ndam was almost invisible in the entire KP presidential project, but mysteriously got the very competitive and highly sought-after Prime Minister position; which ignited claims of tribalism and sectarianism from critics.
As the adage explained that where there’s smoke you’ll surely see fire, issues of lack of financial transparency started cropping up in the 83rd guild, as KP and his ministers were being pinned. It all started with the ridiculously high proposed budget, which was down-sized by the Guild Council; then the saga of allowances not being paid on time; and now allegations that the budget wasn’t being followed.
In a closed session at the Guild Offices, last Saturday, members of the executive were intensely pinned for embezzlement of funds. According to the Guild Representative Councils(GRCs), a budget amount of over 18.7 million Uganda shillings disappeared and was not accounted for. This obviously violates Article 90 of the Guild Constitution and thus led to the resolution to censure the Finance Minister, Hon. Katana Brian. This, according to the GRCs, was as well owing to the breach of Article 84 – failure to account for money. Also, Hon. Ndam, The Prime Minister, was accordingly suspended from the Guild activities for an indefinite time.
The Finance Minister however, rubbished all these claims,
“All the things in Article 90 of the guild constitution are utopian for the impeachment of a member. All this was a setup from people that wanted to blackmail me.” A dejected Hon. Katana refuted.
The Guild President who was shielding the Finance was cautioned by a Kabanyoro GRC, who raised a motion for impeachment. This welcomed cheers, but was overruled by the Guild Speaker. Police was present in the Chambers during this sensitive sitting, to do its role of keeping law and order.
Campus Bee will definitely keep you up to date on all the developments to this story.
