By David Ssemakula and Andrew Ssenyonga

KAMPALA - Five students, including one female, have been nominated to contest for the Kyambogo University’s guild presidency.

Doreen Ashaba of the NRM party joined the race for the top students’ leadership as the only female candidate.

She will have to shake off opposition from FDC’s Anthony Ayinza and independent candidates Owen Matte and Nicholas Bukenya is she is to pull through.

The campaigns kicked off on Tuesday with each hopeful launched his and her manifesto at the university’s sports ground.

The race would be tighter – with six candidates – if only one of the initial hopefuls, Assumpta Nalubega, had managed to go through the nomination process.

But according to the university electoral commission chairman, Martin Yiga, she did not meet the minimum standard of a guild presidential candidate.

He said she arrived late for nomination and also did not have the sh200,000 that every candidate is required to pay at that stage of the election.

The sh200,000 is not refundable following nomination of any candidate. Besides, each contestant is required to present all results for the results for the previous semesters without any retake.

Participants must also own a valid identity card or an admission letter.

The campaigns will go on for a little under two weeks ahead of the voting day scheduled for March 25.

 “We have guided all the contestants on how to carry out their campaigns and we expect them to be peacefully and avoid violence,” Yiga said.

The electoral commission has promised a more improved election process this year than the previous times. The candidates will face off in a debate, the first ever, to discuss issues concerning the public university.