Sentamu sworn in as 91st Makerere University guild president

Makerere University has ushered in new guild leadership with Churchill James Sentamu being sworn in as the 91st guild president.

Mr Sentamu, a second-year student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, was sworn in today Friday, March 21, 2025. He is the son of Mr Fred Nyanzi, the Head of Mobilization for the National Unity Platform (NUP), and the brother of Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu alias Bobi Wine, the NUP party president.

Mr Sentamu ran as an independent candidate after Makerere University’s People Power chapter, which is aligned with NUP, endorsed Ismail Basalirwa as their candidate for the guild presidency. During the primaries, Mr Sentamu lost to Basalirwa, who garnered 232 votes compared to Mr. Sentamu's 214.

However, in the final race, Mr Sentamu emerged victorious with 3,459 votes, defeating his closest rival, John Bosco Rukundo of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), who received 3,267 votes. Ismail Basalirwa, the NUP candidate, came third with 3,126 votes.

Mr Sentamu succeeds Vincent Lubega Nsamba, the outgoing 90th guild president, following the end of his tenure.

During the swearing-in ceremony, Mr Sentamu pledged to prioritize the interests of students, particularly at the University Council, and to promote a peaceful environment that addresses students' concerns.

"I intend to tackle the tuition policy, which has been widely criticized for containing unfair clauses. My goal is to push for a more lenient policy that does not marginalize students, especially private students," Mr Sentamu said.

He also promised to work harmoniously with the administration for the betterment of the university and students' welfare.

Professor Mukadasi Buyinza, Makerere University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, congratulated the new guild president and his leadership team for winning the trust of the student body. He urged them to always put students first in their leadership.

"Let them embrace a culture of dialogue and consultative leadership. Engage with the university management, government, and all relevant stakeholders to achieve our common goal of excellence in academics, research, and community service," Prof Buyinza advised.

M. Winifred Kabumbuli, the Dean of Students at Makerere University, also addressed the new leadership, urging them to uphold values of inclusivity and diversity and work toward improving the student community.

"Remember the importance of listening to the voices of your peers, promoting inclusivity, and striving for the betterment of the student community. You have the full support of the university management, the student body, and all university stakeholders as you take on this responsibility," Ms Kabumbuli said.

Anthony Kirabo, a Guild Representative Council (GRC) representative from the School of Psychology, expressed that students expect the new leadership to advocate for a revision of the current tuition policy. Under this policy, students are required to pay 60% of their tuition by the sixth week of the semester before they are allowed to register, submit coursework, or sit for exams.

"Churchill [the guild president] should advocate for a reduction in the 60% tuition payment requirement. This policy is unfair to many students who struggle with tuition fees," Mr. Kirabo said.

Students also called on the new leadership to focus on restoring Makerere University’s reputation and standing.

"We want to see Makerere University shine again. Currently, we are witnessing the decline of a once-renowned institution. We want to bring back the glory of Makerere and restore it to the top, as we used to admire it before joining," Mr Kirabo said.

Additionally, students requested that the new leadership advocate for the return of physical voting for guild elections, as they feel that online voting can be easily manipulated.

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