Court orders university to reinstate People Power candidate in guild race

The Gulu High Court has ordered Gulu University to reinstate Mr Imuran Ntambazi to contest for the position of Guild President at the institution.

Mr Ntambazi, was among four other students at the university who last month expressed interest to run for the leadership of the students’ body.

The Second year Bachelors of Computer Science student, was, however, blocked from being nominated for the race on March 23, by the Dean of Students on allegations that he was not a fully registered student at the university.

It was also alleged that Mr Ntambazi’s nomination was blocked because he identified himself with the People Power Movement, a rising political group associated with the Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.

Through his lawyer, Mr  Lastone Gulume, Mr Ntambazi sued Gulu University for unfairly blocking him arguing that the action would ruin  his political ambitions.

Mr Ntambazi also applied to court to suspend the elections which were scheduled to take place on April 7.

The Gulu High Court Deputy Registrar, Mr Rose Mary Bareebe had on Wednesday asked the two parties [Mr Ntambazi and Gulu University] to settle the matter out of court arguing that the ruling might not favour any of them.

However, in a Thursday ruling, Ms Bareebe ordered Gulu University to reinstate Mr Ntambazi to participate and contest for the guild presidency.

She ordered that with the exception of the requisite fees, Mr Ntambazi should undertake and fulfil all the other requisites for his nomination and eventual participation in the Guild elections as outlined by the Guild Electoral Commission.

Ms Bareebe also ordered the applicant not to affiliate with any political party or partisan body which negatively portrays the image of Gulu University.

“Prior to and during the nomination processes, the applicant shall neither affiliate to any political party nor any partisan body which shall negatively portray the image of the University and neither shall the applicant associate with or promote rowdy movements at the University. Contravention of the above may lead to the cancellation of his participation in the electoral process,” Ms Bareebe ruled.

Mr Gulume, however, said from his the interpretation of the court ruling, his client is only bared from participating in partisan politics before nomination arguing that after his successful nomination, he is free to join any political group.

“The order limits association to the stage of prior to and during the nomination process. This in my view doesn’t extend to the campaigning stage which is a post nomination process leading to the elections,” Mr Gulume said.

He said that his client will have to get recommendations from the University academic registrar and the Dean of Students before being nominated.

Others in the race are Mr Alexander Okidi, a second-year student of Development Studies, Mr Samuel Oyet Agwani, a second- year student of  Arts in Education, Mr Johnson Nowe, a third year Medicine & Surgery student and Mr Moses Etyak, a second- year student of Computer Science.

Court also ordered both parties to meet their own costs and extended the guild elections to April 13 to enable Mr Ntambazi to participate.