Olive Nigesa
Rotarian and Law student, Derrick Mawanda, has been declared the winner of the highly contested Nkumba University Guild Presidential race. Mawanda garnered 466 votes, representing 39.8% of the total votes cast, beating his closest rival, Katende Muhammad, by a margin of 89 votes.
According to Atuna Sabrina Henry, the Chairperson Nkumba University Electoral Commission, Mawanda’s victory was a result of a well-contested election. “Having duly tallied all votes to the account of every candidate and having disclosed the invalid votes hitherto, allow me to declare Mawanda Derrick as the newly elected Guild President of Nkumba University,” Atuna declared amidst ululations.
Atuna noted that the electoral commission utilized all available resources to ensure a peaceful, free, and fair election. “I want to thank everyone for being part of this journey, especially those who turned out to cast their votes. As you’ve witnessed, we spared no effort in making this election peaceful, free, and fair.”
In the election, Katende came in second with 379 votes (32.4%), while NRM’s Alinda Marvin was in third place with 296 votes (25.3%). A total of 30 votes (2.5%) were declared invalid.
Mawanda’s campaign focused on addressing pressing student concerns, including welfare, delayed access to results on the student portal, renegotiating the tuition policy, and creating an accountability system to give students value for their functional fees. His campaign team’s tireless efforts in engaging students resonated well with the electorate.
In an interview shortly after being declared the winner, Mawanda said, “As I have always mentioned, it is ‘Mawanda for the people’, the victory is ours, we will operate on the principles of inclusivity, transparency, and accountability.” He promised to deliver on his campaign promises, including boosting internet connectivity and addressing gender safeguarding.
As Mawanda prepares to take office, students are eagerly awaiting the implementation of his campaign promises. “We’re excited to see Mawanda’s vision take shape,” said Herbert Muguleni, a second-year Journalism student. “His commitment to student welfare gives us hope for a brighter future.”
Mawanda’s win has been met with mixed reactions from his opponents’ supporters. “I’m speechless,” said Aheirwe Lydia, a staunch Katende supporter. “We believed in Katende’s vision, and we thought he had done a good job. It’s hard to accept that our voices weren’t heard, but all in all, it’s God who chooses leaders, not us.”
By publication time, Katende Mohamed had not issued any communication or conceded defeat. However, his supporters were left stunned and silenced by the outcome, “I’m speechless,” said Aheirwe Lydia, a staunch Katende supporter. “We believed in Katende’s vision and thought he did a good job campaigning. It’s hard to accept the outcome, but ultimately, it’s God who chooses leaders, not us.”
Vocal Okwang Boniface, a Journalism student and ardent Katende supporter, was left stunned. “I’m shocked. People can change their minds at the last minute. We had over 600 mobilizers, so it’s surprising he only got 376 votes. It feels like our efforts were in vain.”
Early this week, an opinion poll conducted by Nkumba University News had placed Mawanda Derrick (IND) in the lead with 43%, Katende Muhammad (IND) and Alinda Marvin (NRM) garnered 39.1% and 18% respectively. “These polls have been keenly tailored to ensure authenticity and transparency.” Said an official from Nkumba University News.
Mawanda will serve as the 31st Guild President of Nkumba University for a tenure of one year, succeeding Kasimba Noah, who won a historical election re-run last year.
Who is Mawanda Derrick?
Mawanda Derrick is a third-year law student at Nkumba University, pursuing a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree. He’s an active member of Rotary International, serving at both club and district levels, and a recognized Paul Harris Fellow, having donated over $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation.
Mawanda’s professional affiliations include membership in the Uganda Law Society’s Food and Nutrition Cluster. He’s also a real estate developer with properties in Entebbe and Masaka, and a self-made entrepreneur, having founded Mawick Investments Ltd.
Mawanda’s political journey began in 2022 when he rejoined Nkumba University to pursue law, after previously graduating with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. Having won the guild presidency, Mawanda becomes the 31st Guild President of Nkumba University, serving a one-year tenure and succeeding Kasimba Noah, the winner of last year’s guild election.
Discussion about this post