The Guild Representative Council (GRC) representative for Mary Stuart Hall at Makerere University has resigned in protest, delivering a stinging rebuke to the 92nd guild government, which she accuses of sidelining elected leaders and frustrating genuine student representation.
In a strongly worded resignation statement, Jemmimah Namubiru, a third-year Bachelor of Business Administration student, described her exit as “a resignation in protest,” arguing that the GRC has been reduced to a ceremonial body with little influence over the decisions that affect students.
“I did not run for GRC to warm a seat. I ran to represent students, to debate issues affecting students of Mary Stuart Hall,” she said. “That is not what is happening in the 92nd Guild House.”
“The Voice of the Hall Is Silenced”
At the heart of Namubiru’s grievance is a claim that pressing student matters are routinely shelved in favour of issues that have little to do with student welfare. Representatives, she said, often walk into meetings prepared to raise the concerns of those who elected them, only to watch those concerns pushed aside.
“Time after time, leadership shelves student concerns and instead chooses to present unrelated matters to the university administration. The voice of the hall is silenced before it even leaves the room,” she said.
She went further, accusing both the guild leadership and sections of the university administration of treating GRC members as mere messengers rather than genuine stakeholders in decision-making.
“The people elected by students cannot influence policy. We are invited to sit in the House but not to decide. Policies are made without us, and when we propose solutions, they are dismissed,” she added.
For Namubiru, staying on would have meant endorsing a system she believes betrays the very purpose of student representation.
“I refuse to be part of a leadership that pretends to represent students while gagging the very people students elected,” she said.
A House That Has Barely Sat
Namubiru’s resignation lands at a moment when the Students’ Guild House itself is under scrutiny for inactivity. Since its inauguration, the House has convened only four sittings — and just one of those was dedicated to budget discussions. Even then, the House failed to approve the budget, leaving members uncertain about when the crucial financial plan will finally be passed.
That sluggishness has fuelled wider concern among guild representatives about whether the House is capable of executing its legislative responsibilities and responding to the issues students actually care about.
From Speaker Race to Resignation
Namubiru is no newcomer to the rough and tumble of Makerere’s student politics. Her resignation comes months after she contested for the influential position of guild speaker in one of the closest races of the electoral season, narrowly losing to Travis Mutatina, who secured 60 votes against her 52.
Despite that defeat, she remained active in student politics and continued serving as Mary Stuart Hall’s representative until stepping down this week.
The Seat Is Now Vacant
Following her departure, the Office of the Dean of Students officially declared the seat vacant. In a notice to residents, Dean of Students Dr Winfred Kabumbuli announced that a by-election would be conducted in accordance with Article 77(1) of the Makerere University Students’ Guild Constitution, 2022, as amended.
The notice stated that the successful candidate will represent the interests of Mary Stuart Hall residents in the GRC and contribute to student governance within the university. Eligible students interested in contesting have been advised to await the official election roadmap and advertisement from the relevant authorities.
Even on her way out, Namubiru insisted that her commitment to the hall remains unshaken.
“Thank you to the students of Mary Stuart Hall for trusting me. I have not failed you but rather accepted to sacrifice myself so that you may know the truth,” she said.
She pledged to keep advocating for hall residents regardless of whether she holds office, describing those she represented as “not a constituency but a family.”
A Wake-Up Call for the Guild?
The resignation has drawn commentary from across Makerere’s student political scene. Ismael Basalirwa, popularly known as Omukukutivu — a respected student leader who recently completed his fourth year of Law and finished third in the 91st Guild presidential race on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket — described the move as a reflection of deeper frustrations within the current leadership structure.
“To me personally, she has exhibited a high level of integrity and respect for her electorate. She has shown maturity by recognizing when she could no longer effectively serve the people who entrusted her with leadership. It should be a lesson to all leaders that the people we are meant to serve are the same people who voted us into office,” he said.
But he also issued a warning to the guild leadership.
“The letter brings attention to concerns that some leaders are prioritising personal interests over those of the students. The guild leadership should respect the views brought forward by guild representatives and chairpersons because they speak on behalf of the students they represent. If that does not happen, there could be more resignations and deeper divisions within the leadership,” he said.
What Happens Next
With the by-election now on the horizon and the budget still unapproved, the 92nd Guild House faces mounting pressure to prove it can deliver. Namubiru’s exit may be a single resignation — but as Basalirwa cautioned, it could also be the first crack in a structure already struggling to convince students it speaks for them.
For now, the residents of Mary Stuart Hall await both a new representative and answers about whether their concerns will finally make it out of the room.
