Wenepaida Hellen
Controversy erupted at Nkumba University’s Kampala campus following an appeal by Mary Josephine Nabisiga, a Guild Council Governor aspirant who lost to Nansubuga Jamirah in the just-concluded elections.
Nabisiga had alleged that the April 26 polls, which saw her opponent declared winner with 89 votes against her 63, were marred by electoral malpractice.
In a formal letter to the Electoral Commission chairperson, Nabisiga cited incidents of voter intimidation, ballot stuffing, and illegal participation by unregistered students. She also claimed that some students were marked as having voted even though they never showed up at the polling station. “I respect the voice of the students, but I also believe they deserve a transparent process—what happened on election day was far from fair,” Nabisiga said in her appeal letter dated April 28, 2025.
Nabisiga further alleged that Bubiru Ronny, a member of the Electoral Commission, was seen interacting with voters and campaigning for her opponent, a serious breach of electoral ethics. “When the people entrusted to run the election fairly start taking sides, the entire process loses meaning,” she emphasized.
The Electoral Commission pushed back against the allegations, with Chairperson Namatovu Jamal stating in a sworn affidavit that the elections were conducted in accordance with the law. “We conducted a free and fair election. The petitioner made serious claims but has not submitted solid evidence to back them,” Jamal said, citing the legal precedent of Col (Rtd) Kizza Besigye v. Museveni Yoweri (2001) to emphasize that the burden of proof lies with the petitioner.
The case, registered as Nkumba University Kampala Campus Election Petition No. 1 of 2025, was brought before the Students Affairs Committee, which dismissed the appeal without charges.
The Students’ Affairs Committee reviewed the affidavits and delivered a verdict that dismissed the claims on failure by the complainant to provide satisfactory proof of any election malpractice.
Nabisiga’s appeal has sparked a broader conversation about the credibility of student leadership elections and the need for reforms to ensure a free and fair electoral process. “I was not doing this just for myself,” she said. “I was doing it for every student who believes their vote should count and that elections should mean something.”
