Students from North and Eastern Uganda have threatened to secede from the main Uganda National Student’s Association following last week’s chaotic election at St Mary’s College Kisubi. The student leaders say they are upset about the level of violence and intimidation by security agencies as well as the bribery of delegates.
They claim that the elections were not peaceful, because they favored particular candidates, and denied others especially those that subscribe to People Power political movement from contesting. Furthermore, the students are dissatisfied that the composition of the present leadership has no regional balance, as some parts of the country are not represented.
According to reports, over 100 students were stopped from participating. Various individuals were blocked from accessing the venue while others were unfortunately arrested, which disrupted the entire electoral process.
Many of the individuals who want to break away are those that lost in the just-concluded elections. They are disappointed in the process and claim that it was interfered with by those with political interests.
The UNSA presidency was won by Hon. Byabutangaza Ezra, the current speaker of the Makerere University Students guild.
