Fake news nearly cost me MUK guild elections-Kateregga

Mar 22, 2019

As the Election Day at the university was nearing last week, Katerega’s opponents waged a war of fake news, which nearly cost him the seat.

Makerere University Guild President elect, Julius Kateregga . Photo/Courtesy

POLITICS|EDUCATION

KAMPALA - The fake news that hit the peak during the 2016 US Presidential elections is slowly penetrating Uganda's politics.

On Facebook and Twitter, which are popular social media platforms in Uganda, every now and then, supporters of different political formations hit at one another with fake news.  So what is the impact of fake news?

Until you talk to Julius Kateregga, 24, the guild President elect for Makerere University, you may not understand the reality of fake news in politics and its impact.

As the Election Day at the university was nearing last week, Katerega's opponents waged a war of fake news or what is called chemical against him, which nearly cost him the seat.

At first, they said he had abused a tribe in Uganda that its people only think after clocking a certain age x.

Katerega said the news damaged his popularity that a friend who had promised to give him sh1m for the campaigns later refused to make the offer because he had abused them.

And as if that was not enough, Katerega's opponents released another volley of fake news saying that the Makerere University Vice-chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe had given him sh5m.

Kateregga said that the fake news came in a letter aimed at showing that he was in bed with the university's top administration and that he could not serve the interests of the students.

The university later rubbished and disowned the letter.  Kateregga told Saturday Vision that the letter was fake, that his name was misspelt and his year of study was also wrong.

Kateregga's election as Makerere University Guild President took the country by surprise especially because he stood on a People Power ticket.

Saturday Vision interviewed Katerega on a range of issues, find details in the Saturday Vision newspaper or subscribe for the Epaper

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});