DP's Ivan Kata wins MUK Guild race

By Vision reporters 

Scenes of jubilation and joy played out as hundreds of Makerere University students poured onto the streets to celebrate Democratic Party (DP) candidate Ivan Kata’s victory in the guild presidential elections.

The students paralysed business and blocked traffic flow as they descended from the university through the eastern gate, to Wandegeya, after the electoral commission chairman, Deo Kiirya, announced that Kata had won the race with 4,932 votes. He was followed by FDC’s John Paul Rubagumya who obtained 1, 974 votes.

NRM candidate, Joshua Nahurira, came third with 1, 752. Kata is a second year student of biomedical sciences, while Rubagumya is a third year law student. Nahurira is a second year student pursuing agriculture engineering.

Independent candidates Ivan Nankunda, Paul Kigongo, Frank Kayombya, Achleo Kansiime, Nathan Kintu and Genesis Akampwera got 114, 50, 22, 165 and 314 votes respectively. 

CP’s Sadat Maseruka obtained 113, while Elizabeth Namirembe of Federal Alliance got 135 votes. Kiirya, who observed that there was a high voter turn up compared to the previous two years, said a total of 9,675 votes were cast. Out of these, 67 were invalid and six were spoilt.

Dancing to loud music played from a public address system mounted on a truck and a brash band, the students wanted to proceed to the city centre, but were blocked by the Police at Wandegeya junction, forcing them to turn back to the university main gate.

Holding tree branches and Kata’s posters, the students, who were also chanting DP slogan “DP egumire” (DP is strong), refused to enter the university through the main gate and proceeded to Old Kampala, further blocking traffic.

Blowing vuvuzelas and whistles, they had a brief stand-off with the riot Police that stopped them as they joined Gaddafi Road, forcing them to abandon the procession because they were disrupting traffic flow. The students, who were carrying Kata, had planned to match to DP headquarters at City House. 

The Police later allowed them to continue matching along Gaddafi Road, but forced them to turn at the Law Development Centre, towards Sir Apolo Kagwa Road. 

The Police also ordered motorists to stop as the students were jumping on the cars and hitting them with sticks. They returned to campus through the university small gate in Kikoni. 

The students had started pouring into the university freedom square celebrating Kata’s victory, long before the electoral commission announced the final outcome. The results from various colleges showed that he was in the lead.

They brought down the posters of the FDC and NRM candidates and set them alight on the university roads, blocking traffic flow for hours. 

(Compiled by Pascal Kwesiga, Justus Akampa, Agnes Nantambi and Loy Nankya)