‘Togikwatako’ activist Papa Were Salim elected Makerere guild president

Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | Papa Were Salim, a Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leaning Independent candidate, was Wednesday declared winner of the Makerere University Guild Presidential race.

The fourth year student of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine beat 14 other contestants sending supporters in night long celebrations.

According to official results announced by the Makerere Electoral commission Chairperson Isaac Kenneth Isabirye, Were garnered 3202 votes against his closest rival also Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) flag bearer Edward Kinene Semakula who got 2267 votes.

These were followed by independents Silver Kent Lwamaza with 1528 votes and Andrew Julian  Taliwaku with 1380 votes respectively.

The FDC flag bearer Chiluba Fredrick Narsh got 776 votes while NRM’s Prize Marie Ahimbisibwe got 163 votes.

Other candidates who contested for the top leadership included Henry Turyasingura, Joe Kasumba, Florence Namuganza, Salim Were, Arnold Ssemanda, Patrick Kamyuka , Fred Andama, Dan Ronnie Isabirye, Johnson Obbo, and Samuel Nuwataho.

I congratulate Mr. Salim Were upon being elected Guild President of the Great @MakerereU. I look forward to working with Mr. Were to lift Makerere to greater heights. I call upon the other contestants to support Mr. Were in his new role so that TOGETHER we make Mak Greater.

— Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (@ProfNawangwe) March 14, 2018

Papa Were Salim is scheduled to replace outgoing Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s, Paul Kato and become the 84th guild President of Uganda’s oldest University.

Popularly known as “Papa” by his hall-mates at Nsibirwa Hall formerly Northcote, Salim Were came to the limelight after staging a one man #togikwatako demonstration at parliament last year.

Were marched to parliament with his mattress to camp at the legislative house while protesting against lifting of the presidential age limit.

He claimed he had tried to reach out to his area Member of Parliament in to entreat him not to support the scrapping of the age limit clause from the constitution to no avail.

Were was arrested and driven to Kampala Central Police Station from where he was taken to his home district in Busia and briefly put under indefinite house arrest.

This arrest gave him (Were) prominence after a photo while he was being arrested made it to the front-page of the Daily Monitor, one of Uganda’s top daily newspapers.

The guild president is the head of the students’ guild which is the students’ supreme decision-making body charged with the responsibility of ensuring seamless relationship between the university administration and the students.

The guild president serves for a one year non-renewable term in office.

Election of Guild Representatives to Council (GRCs) will follow the guild presidential elections.