Students through their body, the Uganda National Students Association (UNSA) have demanded for immediate voting of student leaders at Makerere University.
While addressing journalists at UNSA secretariat, Mr. Yusuf Welunga, the president of the association condemned the suspension of students’ leadership saying;
“It is absurd that Makerere University has not held elections for a new government of students’ leaders of 2022. As you are all aware, a functional administration in a school setting is largely dependent on the existence of functional student leadership.
Whereas we condemn the hooliganism that led to the death of a student during the last days of the campaign at Makerere University in July and the subsequent suspension of elections, we think that the time lapse given has healed the situation.”
Mr. Osbert Alinda, the UNSA regional coordinator of Tooro region also re-echoed condemning the continued absence of students leaders at the best public University in East Africa saying it will breed problems which may not be controlled.
The alarm comes ahead of the meeting by the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) of which, proceedings of the sitting called for the reinstatement of the student leadership to enable students take part in decisions concerning them.
Dr. Robert Kakuru, the MUASA Chairperson revealed that the students’ body was established by law and its continued suspension means that one of the university arms is nonfunctional.
“The University is there because of the students, the employees, the management, the University Council and the general public. When the students’ leadership is not there, it means we are doing things when the voice of the students in every decision is lacking, meaning we are doing things on our own without involving the students who are the major stakeholders, which can lead to more problems. It is better that the University Council quickly revises its decision so that we get the students guild back,” Dr. Kakuru advised.
Makerere University guild elections were suspended by Mrs. Lorna Magara, the Chairperson of the University Council following chaos that was exhibited on July 14, 2022 during the final guild rally that claimed life of a student from Uganda Christian University-Kampala Campus, a one Betungura Bewatti, who was a second year student pursuing a Bachelor of Laws.
More so, the guild care taker government and the student’s common room was too suspended in a letter dated July 15, 2022.
