Kampala, February 26, 2025 – In a closely contested election, Basalirwa Ismael, a third-year law student, emerged as the People Power Makerere Chapter candidate for the 91st guild presidential race after securing 232 votes. His closest rival, Ssentamu Churchill James, finished with 214 votes, while Mugabe Jacob came third with 129 votes. The election saw a total of 585 votes cast, with 10 ballots recorded as invalid.
Election Day was marked by intense mobilization efforts from the candidates, with each rallying supporters from their respective halls of residence. Basalirwa campaigned from University Hall (UH), while Ssentamu drew support from Nsibirwa, and Mugabe Jacob campaigned from Livingstone. Supporters began assembling as early as 11 a.m., with the first groups arriving at the National Unity Platform (NUP) premises in Kavule on buses.
As the day unfolded, Ssentamu’s supporters, chanting “Weewe,” created a powerful presence. However, the momentum shifted when Basalirwa arrived at 4 p.m., accompanied by an even larger and more energized crowd. The electoral commission then commenced the voting process, leading to Basalirwa’s decisive victory.
Following the announcement, Mbuga Zephaniah, chairman of the People Power Makerere University Chapter, described the election as rigorous and financially demanding. With this victory, Basalirwa is now positioned as the frontrunner for the 91st guild presidency at Makerere University under the National Unity Platform (NUP) banner.
Despite the successful completion of the primaries, concerns over time management were raised. Sserunkuma Hussein, a delegate in the election, pointed out the need for better organization in future polls. He noted that although students arrived early, voting was delayed until the evening due to a press conference at the NUP premises, which addressed allegations of abductions involving their supporters.
“We were ready to vote much earlier, but the process was pushed back because of ongoing discussions about the safety of our comrades. This is something that needs improvement going forward,” Sserunkuma stated.
He further called on the People Power fraternity to rally behind Basalirwa, emphasizing the importance of unity after the primaries. He urged the losing candidates to throw their support behind the nominee to strengthen the party’s chances in the main election.
“The purpose of primaries is to ensure that we go into the main election as one strong force. I encourage my comrades who contested but didn’t win to rally behind Basalirwa so that we uphold the values of unity and democracy within the party,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has released the final list of candidates for the upcoming Guild Presidential Elections. A total of 14 aspirants have been cleared to contest, including Aljuna Muhamadi, Ategyeka Prosper, Atwembembe Justus, Basalirwa Ismael, Bumba Erinest, Mpamize Rwamigamba, Mugabe Job, Mutebi Nathan, Mwiine Daniel, Oddini Brian Mark, Rukundo John Baptist, Ssentamu Churchill James, Tukwasibwe Martin, and Wankya Ivan.
This year’s elections will be conducted online, in line with Article 67 (1)(b) of the Makerere University Guild Constitution 2022, which mandates that university elections be held virtually unless otherwise determined by the University Council.
