NUP’s Gracious Kadondi defeats NRM’s Tebakor Jimmy Prince and independent Hannah Karema in Makerere University guild race

Gracious Kadondi, of the National Unity Platform (NUP), has been declared winner of the Makerere University guild presidential race, defesting 12 other candidates including Tebakor Jimmy Prince, of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), and closes rival, former Miss Uganda Hannah Karema.

Kadondi, a second-year Bachelor of Optometry student at the College of Health Sciences, polled 6,801 votes to defeat her nearest rival, Hannah Karema Tumukunde, a Political Science student in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, who obtained 5,787 votes.

The race attracted multiple candidates and generated intense competition across the campus.

The election process was conducted under heightened attention, with students turning up in significant numbers to participate in the vote. Authorities maintained a visible security presence to ensure a smooth and orderly exercise.

Following the announcement of results, jubilant supporters of Kadondi celebrated across different parts of Makerere University, marking the culmination of weeks of campaigns and mobilization.

Her victory extends the dominance of NUP-aligned candidates in student leadership at Makerere, reflecting the party’s continued appeal among young people, particularly in urban academic institutions.

As guild president, Kadondi will take on the responsibility of representing student interests and engaging university management on key issues including welfare, academic concerns, and governance.

She replaces outgoing guild president James Churchill Ssentamu and is expected to begin her tenure with a focus on strengthening student engagement and addressing pressing campus challenges.

The outcome of the election once again highlights the role of Makerere’s guild politics as a key indicator of youth political sentiment in Uganda.