Turyamureeba wins chaotic Mak convocation race

Mr George Turyamureeba Mugabi has been declared the new Makerere University convocation chairperson in an election marred by chaos amid allegations of malpractices.

Mr Turyamureeba was declared the winner at 5:30am on Saturday morning after garnering a total of 465 votes against his rival, Mr Tom Lynd Otim, who got 49 votes.

He was declared the winner by Mr Buyinza Mukadasi, the returning officer

The race initially attracted 10 candidates but eight and others competing for the other positions on the convocation committee pulled out, citing constitutional breach and irregularities.

 The convocation annual general meeting and subsequent elections held on Friday were characterised by chaos, heavy security deployment, and arrest of some members.

Former Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga, who was contesting for the seat but dropped out, accused Dr Tanga Odoi, the outgoing convocation chairperson, of superintending over the irregularities.

 “We have been in a very flawed process, Dr Tanga Odoi decided to organise an election for his son; from the beginning, he removed our voters from the register,” he said.

“What disappointed us is they said they would give us receipts after bank payment which they didn’t, constitutionally we were supposed to get a transparent publication of the voter’s register, which didn’t happen but even unfortunately Dr Tanga decided to back date the register,” he said.

 Mr Charles Odongtho, another candidate, who also stepped down from the race, said: “... our constitution is clear that the outgoing chairperson is supposed to hand over election to the Academic Registrar to carry the exercise which didn’t happen, so when we tried to raise the matter for the love of our university, our members were arrested and brutalised on Dr Tanga Odoi’s order.”

 However, Dr Odoi denied the allegations of rigging and accused some of the contestants to instigating the chaos.

 “… they are the same group that went to court, so their mission was not to have the elections but their mission was to disrupt it and we shall not allow this,” he said.

Grace Ruto Cherotich became the convocation vice chairperson after her opponents pulled off the race.