UCU guild leaders block student elections over allowances

Mukono, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Student leaders at Uganda Christian University-UCU have blocked guild elections until the university clears their allowances and stipends amounting to about Shillings 100 million. The guild leaders believe that once the elections are conducted it will be hard for the university to release their unspent guild funds. 

Following the resumption of studies when the government eased the lockdown, the guild council passed a budget of Shillings 114 million to complete its activities. The Director of Students Affairs approved the budget to cater for the allowances, stipends, awards, shirts and guild trip for the student leaders from July to November.

However, the university has never released the money. The university had scheduled to conduct its first online student elections using the ‘e-Chagua’ on Monday this week. However, the exercise didn’t take place due to the misunderstandings with the guild leaders.

Timothy Kadaga, the UCU Guild President also replaced the Electoral Commission-EC Chairperson John Bruce with Graham Joshua Alinda accusing the former of mismanaging the office. Kadaga says the guild constitution gives him powers to revoke the appointment of the EC chairperson on grounds of mismanagement and abuse of office and appoint a new one.

Although URN has obtained a letter confirming Alinda’s appointment, our reporter has also obtained recordings where Bruce disagrees with the guild officials suspending the elections. According to the recording, the Guild Prime Minister, says if they allow the elections to take place, it will signal the end for the push for their money.

However, Bruce says the guild president and his cabinet are exhibiting greed and tainting the image of the university. He wonders why they would frustrate the long-awaited online elections yet it would turn out to be their strongest achievement. 

The UCU Public Relations Officer, Frank Obonyo says the university the administration is rectifying a few inconveniences in order to carry out a just election.    

Two students are competing for the position of guild president. They are Kenneth Agaba Aponda, a third-year law student and Jim Patrick Wasswa, a third-year Engineering student.                                     

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URN