Vincent Lubega Nsamba
On March 18, VINCENT LUBEGA NSAMBA, 22 was sworn in as the 90th guild president of Makerere University.
The 22-year-old Social Sciences student, who won by a margin of just four votes, is seeking to use his presidency to transform student rights by advocating for unlimited freedoms of expression and association. As he told Geofrey Serugo, the former St Julian High School head prefect has already set his sights on bigger leadership roles in the country.
Nsamba says that at the moment, students of Makerere University find themselves in a position where several forms of expression and association have been suppressed while privileges are being removed.
“Historically, the students’ guild was charged with the vocation to hold the administration accountable. So, this presents me and the guild an opportunity to institute a fundamental change,” he says.
Using his campaign slogan ‘Let’s fight back,’ Nsamba insists he will lead students to fight back for their privileges, rights and interests. In fact, he says he intends to start with the guild statute that was enacted in September, 2022.
“This is a statute that was imposed on students. For example, it creates a nature of campaigns that are very dull, where there is limited physical engagements. That statute has forced us into two online elections that have infringed on our right to political association,” he says.
“I am going to file a constitutional petition against this statute. We are mature people who cannot be denied the chance to politically associate. Even many of the respected leaders that we pride ourselves in went through an open system during their time in Makerere. They freely belonged to any political parties that existed then. So, I believe it is incumbent as to be allowed to politically associate.”
Nsamba also intends to challenge last November’s decision of the university to evict businesses from the campus.
“That was unfair. These businesses saved many of us because they were cost-friendly and were in close proximity to students. We used to do photocopying at just Shs 50 but now we have to move outside campus to get the same service at Shs 200. This surely impedes and infringes on our academic progress as students,” he says.
“It would have been understandable if there were alternatives because you cannot choose to renovate a road without providing a path or a provision for cars to use.”
Nsamba further plans to fast-track the student employment scheme. In 2020, the university council approved the scheme to target economically disadvantaged students with jobs that require technical knowledge.
Incidentally, Nsamba is not the first guild president to talk big, but most times, they don’t walk the walk. However, he believes he has got the passion and commitment to push for the changes.
“I’m not saying that it will be achieved within my lifetime because this is an intergenerational struggle; so do not expect instant-coffee solution. Even when the goal is not achieved now, but know that a foundation is going to be created towards achieving whatever we aspire to achieve.”
On the academic front, Nsamba is rooting for the creation of a supplemental exam policy.
“This policy can enable students who have missed exams under circumstances beyond their control to be in position to sit for those particular papers on time and to graduate on time,” he says.
Whereas Nsamba joined the race as the National Unity Platform (NUP), he believes his political inclination will not be an impediment toward service delivery.
“Now that the campaigning is over, I do not emphasize those political differences, but I look forward to fight for the common good of every student. The guild and I will always focus on finding solutions to challenges that we face as Makerereans. I will also keep an open mind; I will be willing to listen to different opinions and diversity of opinions because as any leader, I should have that level of tolerance to dissenting views,” he says.
Reached out for a comment, Jeff Serunjogi, the director of St Julian High School, is full of awe for Nsamba and is hardly surprised by his feat.
“That young man surprised me when he joined the school. He had done very well in sciences and we initially offered him to study biology, chemistry and Mathematics but he requested to a combination that would shape his leadership skills. That’s how he ended up doing arts,” he says.
“In the two he was there, he was one of our bright students but more importantly, he was focused and I am not surprised he was elected Makerere guild president.”
Who is Nsamba?
Nsamba hails from Lwengo district. He had his primary school at Kabyooga primary school in Lwengo, later joined Rainbow primary school in Entebbe and later joined Nabbunga Fountain of Education in Kalisizo where he completed primary level.
He then joined Merryland High School Entebbe for O-level before honing his leadership skills in A-level at St Julian High School Gayaza, where he was school president in 2020.
“What inspires me most about leadership is the civic responsibility. I am a pragmatist and I believe in actively participating in leadership in order to transform society. In history, no society has ever progressed without being proactive. So, I cannot look on helplessly when I know I have the ability to create change,” he says.
Going forward, the overly-ambitious Nsamba has political ambitions.
“I have a clear interest to aspire as the next member of parliament of Entebbe municipality, that’s not something I can hide because the people on the ground already know it; I have already informed them. As a young lad who has aspirations, I also aspire to be in such a space like I aspired to be the guild president.”
Source: The Observer
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