Court awards sh2m to disqualified Makerere guild aspirant

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The High Court in Kampala has awarded sh2m in general damages to Margaret Nattabi after ruling that she was illegally disqualified from the Makerere University students’ guild elections held on April 14, 2023.

In a ruling dated February 6, 2026, High Court judge Simon Peter Kinobe found that Nattabi was not accorded a fair hearing, rendering her disqualification from the race unlawful.

“I find that the respondents’ decision to disqualify the applicant from the guild presidential elections was tainted with illegality, irrationality and procedural impropriety and as such, the impugned decision violated the rules and principles of natural justice,” Kinobe ruled.

The respondents in the case were Levi Tshilumba, the chairperson of the 89th Makerere University Electoral Commission, and Makerere University.

“Having been unfairly disqualified without being given an opportunity to be heard, for this inconvenience, I will award her general damages of sh2m in addition to the costs of this application,” Kinobe ruled.

Although Nattabi had sought to have the outcome of the 89th Makerere University Guild elections quashed, Justice Kinobe declined, noting that such a decision would be impractical since the matter had been overtaken by events.

Tshilumba had argued that Nattabi and fellow aspirant Sulaiman Namwoza were disqualified for participating in an unauthorised public debate held at Mitchell Hall residence, which allegedly resulted in one student being seriously injured and later admitted to the university hospital.

However, in ruling in Nattabi’s favour, Justice Kinobe noted that no letter was presented by the university to show that she had been invited to defend herself over the alleged fracas. He observed that she was therefore disqualified without being given a fair hearing, making the decision illegal.

Nattabi told court that she had been invited by the Mitchell Hall students’ common room, in her capacity as a former guild vice president, to take part in a panel discussion aimed at updating resident students on the prospects of renovating hall infrastructure, which she said was customary ahead of guild elections.

She said she honoured the invitation and addressed the students without interruption and in strict compliance with university guidelines governing social events.

Nattabi further said she was shocked to learn of her disqualification as a guild presidential aspirant through a letter authored by Tshilumba that was circulated on social media.

She argued that the decision was reached without due process and that the letter was never served on her personally, as required by law.