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Sex for votes at universities
Makerere University students pictured voting for their guild president in the past. PHOTO | NOELINE NABUKENYA
What you need to know:
- Makerere’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe told this publication recently that while he was not aware that sexual harassment is rife in student politics, Uganda’s oldest public university will look into the matter.
Against the background of several sex-for-marks scandals at some of Uganda’s universities, fresh claims of sexual harassment in exchange for political positions have this time been made against male leaders in student affairs on campuses.
At least two ladies who ran for office have alleged that female aspirants to elective positions on students’ guild bodies are routinely asked for sex in return for political support.
Reports of this morally questionable tendency has prompted the management of Makerere University, established in 1922, to promise an inquiry once a formal complaint is lodged.
Makerere’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe told this publication recently that while he was not aware that sexual harassment is rife in student politics, Uganda’s oldest public university will look into the matter.
“I am not aware of this and management has never received any complaint on this matter. Needless to say, we will investigate if there is a complaint on this issue,” he said.
Student politics at Uganda’s higher institutions of learning are a generally hotly contested affair. Many contestants view elective positions as a potential stepping stone to a post-college career in politics, or as one way of introducing themselves to future employers.
The perks which come with some of the jobs is the other incentive in some cases.
A Monitor investigation into the underworld of students’ politics introduced us to Ms Miriam Najingo, a former leader in the 88th Students Guild at Makerere University (2021/22). She confirmed the sexual pressures people like her have been subjected to.
“Of course people ask for two things; money, sex or both promising to help you in your campaign or convince students to vote in your favour,” Ms Najingo asserted, saying she refused to give in to the demands.
Ms Najjingo was a guild representative for students with special needs and yesterday told the Monitor she did not file a formal complaint with the authorities because as a fresh entrant, she did not know where to report.
“…but again reporting these people, even though I wanted, you would look at what deals they have made so far. And then, they show you that they have connections all over the university; they are connected to this office, to the other office and then when we had just joined campus, we didn’t have that much information about where to report when what happens,” she said
Adding that “these are things that we talked about only during freshers’ orientation. So, you get to know the gender mainstreaming directorate, the sexual harassment policy in the university. So, you heard of these things but they have not been emphasised that much. You don’t know even where these people are located, so you have that low self-esteem sort of and you just choose to leave it at that if you have not been harassed physically,” she said.
Ms Najjingo has been a Bachelor of Mass Communication student and expects to graduate next month.
Others like Ms Margaret Natabbi, a former guild presidential aspirant for the current 89th guild body at Makerere corroborated Ms Najingo’s claims.
“I was in Makerere leadership since my year one till this year when I was contesting for guild president but, I must tell you, people really ask for sex in order to get their support, and trust me if you refuse, they will fight you to the toe,” Ms Natabbi said.
Ms Nattabi said she failed to get a lot of people behind her guild race upon refusing to give them what they wanted.
“Even beyond my race, becoming a minister here in the guild one is asked for the legs first,“ she observed, but without providing proof or naming the alleged perpetrators.
Ms Nattabi who said she is still disturbed by what she described as an absurd practice, told the Monitor it is impossible to lodge a formal complaint without hard evidence.
“”It is hard to believe word of mouth, the only way you can get this evidence is by recording these people and this is not something easy to do. Oftentimes, these guys do not use phones. He will schedule a meeting with you and make sure the whole conversation is physical,” Ms Nattabi said.
According to her, many of the people in the 89th Guild Cabinet at Makerere are there because they gave sex for it, but again, Ms Nattabi did not provide evidence to support her claim.
“I have around four girls of mine who missed positions in that government because they refused to sleep with those boys and they were eliminated even with all their competence,” she said.
In response to the claim, Mr Robert Maseruka, Makerere’s 89th guild president, dismissed the allegation as rather wild and baseless.
“Those are people who are just disappointed at not getting a ministry. I have all ministers, you could talk to them as well,” he said. “She (Nattabi) must have been asked for the leg in the 88th guild where she was the vice president and not the 89th”.
Mr Maseruka, however, acknowledged that male students generally have a tendency of objectifying female candidates whom they at times pester for sex. “I have heard [about] this, I can’t say it doesn’t happen,” he said.
Just like her boss, Ms Faith Tabusa, who is culture, mobilisation and social events guild minister, denied female guild officials traded their bodies for the positions they now hold, telling the Monitor that, “personally I haven’t heard much about it, especially in my regime”.
There are eight ladies on Makerere’s current students’ guild cabinet comprising 17 ministers, with Ms Tabusa saying their leader appointed more women in the interest of “gender balance”. This, she said, hasn’t been the case in the past.
Ms Sharifa Kiranda, another minister, also denied she may be in office on account of feminine wiles.
“Of the presumption that the majority female cabinet is a result of sex, which in itself is a sexist perception; that it is not normal for women to occupy key positions without offering sex in return? There could be some instances, just like there are exceptions in society, but that cannot be used to generalise women’s participation in the guild races,” she said.
She maintained the 89th guild cabinet under Mr Maseruka was chosen on merit, with the guild president being supported through a broad-based consultative process.
One of the sources who asked not to be named in order to speak freely alleged that while sex for votes is rampant in the Makerere guild races
“[guild] ministerial positions are served to people who accept to sleep with certain people…. Sometimes a candidate may have about seven girlfriends and all are promised ministerial positions.”
Ms Hadijah Mutesi, who served on both the 87th and 88th guild councils, and was the 33rd vice president of the Uganda National Students Association, said there is a lot of sexual harassment during election campaigns at universities.
To avert this trend, Ms Mutesi started a political mentorship campaign for female candidates.
“I started that right from university by involving these girls in my campaign to show them exactly what happens in the field. And I’m happy to tell you that all girls that have been involved in my campaign are all having different positions in the guild house,” she said.
But at the other end of the stick, Mr Bruno Kamoga, former guild president at Makerere University Business School, said being famous on campus a lot of women threw themselves at him.
“I cannot say that I got any issues. However, being this famous, ladies would come around but I remained focused. But being close to my female fellows, a few of those friends who have been running, they say of course there are those guys who always come around and say that I have mobilisation power, I can help you in funding…,” he said.
It is not clear how widespread the tendency is across other universities, with Mr Ruben Twinomujuni, the senior public relations officer of Kyambogo University saying he was unaware of it.
“I don’t know about that because students have never talked about it,” Mr Twinomujuni said.
What some of the players say...
Margaret Natabbi, ex-guild presidential aspirant.
I was in Makerere leadership since my year one till this year when I was contesting for guild president but, I must tell you, people really ask for sex in order to get their support, and trust me if you refuse, they will fight you to the toe.
Robert Maseruka, Makerere’s 89th guild president.
Those are people who are just disappointed at not getting a ministry. I have all ministers, you could talk to them as well,” he said. “She (Nattabi) must have been asked for the leg in the 88th guild where she was the vice president and not the 89th.
Miriam Najingo, former leader in Makerere varsity Students Guild.
Of course people ask for two things; money, sex or both promising to help you in your campaign or convince students to vote in your favour... And then, they show you that they have connections all over the university; they are connected to this office, to the other office...
Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, Makerere varsity VC.
I am not aware of this and management has never received any complaint on this matter. Needless to say, we will investigate if there is a complaint on this issue.
Additional Reporting by Karim Muyobo and Khalil Ibrahim Manzil.
