Five Makerere University alumni have petitioned the University Council to suspend the scheduled October 31 Convocation elections, citing unresolved legal, electoral and governance concerns.
The petitioners are Ruth Kitamirike, Raymond Ssenteza, Margaret Nattabi, Joshua Muhwezi and Sylus Oluka
They say that they are not opposed to the elections but want the process conducted under clear and publicly available rules governing membership, nominations, voting, accessibility, complaints and dispute resolution. The Convocation’s Annual General Meeting and elections are scheduled for October 31 at the Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel in Entebbe.
At the centre of the petition is what the alumni describe as the absence of a formally adopted and published Convocation Statute to regulate the body’s operations and elections. They cite minutes of the University’s 159th Council meeting held on February 7, 2023, in which Council acknowledged that the lack of a statute limited its oversight role and directed its Legal, Rules, Privileges and Estates Committee to prepare one. The petitioners also note that during the continuation of the 165th Council meeting on October 15, 2024, the Convocation was granted an additional four months to complete consultations on the proposed statute. They are now asking the University to confirm whether the statute has been enacted and, if so, to publish the signed instrument, adoption date and approving resolution before any election is held.
The alumni have also questioned the management of the electoral process, arguing that the election notice does not provide a clear timetable for compiling, inspecting, correcting and certifying the voters’ register. They say the notice fails to clearly define voter eligibility, explain how eligibility will be verified or provide a mechanism for addressing complaints from alumni whose names may be omitted from the register.
The petition further challenges the reported increase in the Convocation membership fee from Shs10,000 to Shs50,000, arguing that the decision was made without approval by the General Assembly. The petitioners contend that the issue is significant because payment of membership subscriptions determines eligibility to vote and contest for office under the Convocation’s rules.
They have also raised concerns over registration procedures requiring members to travel physically to Makerere University to make payments and register, saying this disadvantages alumni living outside Kampala, elsewhere in Uganda and abroad. The choice of Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel in Entebbe as the election venue has also been questioned, with the petitioners arguing that it could increase transport costs and limit accessibility for some members.
In addition, the alumni say the election notice does not adequately address accessibility for persons with disabilities, including accessible transport, pathways, parking, toilets, interpretation services and other forms of assistance.
The petition also revisits the December 30, 2022 Convocation elections, which University Council previously described as having been marred by violence. The petitioners allege that the election was disrupted by the deployment of police and military personnel, removal of some members and concerns over the voters’ register and voting procedures. They are now seeking clarification on whether those events were independently investigated and what measures have since been implemented to prevent a recurrence.
The alumni are asking the University Council to withdraw the October 31 election notice, finalise and publish the Convocation Statute, and commission an independent review of the 2022 elections together with the implementation of Council’s recommendations. They are also calling for a neutral electoral management framework with an independently verified voters’ register, transparent election procedures and clear mechanisms for handling complaints, recounts and preservation of election records.
The petition further seeks greater financial accountability, including publication of Annual General Meeting records, resolutions approving membership fees, budgets, audited accounts and other financial reports relating to the Convocation.
The petition, dated September 17, 2026, was copied to the Makerere University Chancellor and Patron of the Convocation, the Vice Chancellor, University Secretary, Academic Registrar, Director of Legal Affairs and the Chairperson of the Convocation. The petitioners note that the current Convocation leadership’s term expires in December and urge the University to use the remaining period to address the outstanding governance and electoral concerns before conducting fresh elections.
