Makerere University has officially sworn in James Churchill Ssentamu as its 91st Guild President following his victory in the recently concluded elections.
Ssentamu, who ran as an independent candidate, triumphed over John Bosco Rukundo of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and Ismaili Basalirwa, the National Unity Platform (NUP) flagbearer. His decision to contest independently came after he was unable to secure the NUP ticket during the party’s primaries.
Coming from a politically influential family, Ssentamu is the son to National Unity Platform (NUP) chief mobilizer Fred Nyanzi alias Chairman Nyanzi and a nephew to Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, the leader of NUP.
He takes over from Vincent Lubega Nsamba at a time when Makerere University is grappling with various challenges, including rising tuition fees, concerns over students’ academic freedoms, and accusations of administrative intolerance.
In his inaugural address, Ssentamu reassured students that he would work to address these pressing issues, fulfilling the promises he made during his campaign.
Meanwhile, Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, who represented the Vice Chancellor at the ceremony, urged the new student leaders to prioritize dialogue and consensus-building when addressing key concerns within the university.
Ssentamu’s leadership will be closely watched as students anticipate how he will navigate the challenges ahead.