MAK guild campaigns are on

MAKERERE- Campus is yet again on fire with the 2005-2006 guild presidential elections. This is the time when money exchanges hands, when crazy supporters do the paka-chini dance and when logistics (small items like Safi drinks in boys halls and éclairs in girls halls) are dished out by the aspirants.

Last Friday, the campaigns kicked off at the University Hall quadrangle where the 14 candidates gave their best trying to satisfy the political hungry students with flavoured speeches. The moneyed candidates were chauffeured around campus in open roof cars while the penniless could afford a few bottles of crude waragi to boggle their supporters into the craze of shouting at the top of their voices as they did kakuyege for them.

For two and a half weeks, the contestants will be splashing posters all over campus as they look for support. A cross section of students is quite bitter that this time round, no ‘mango’(girl) was brave enough to spice up the campaigns by running against the male counterparts. Nevertheless, the campaigns are the pastime to die for. The fighters have a way with words; some are real jokers who send you down with laughter while others throw in hilarious political jargon in addition to vulgar chants.

As usual, it is the movement government up against multi-partyism and we have to hold our breath till April 25, when the Electoral Commission declares the winner!

Published in Daily Monitor, April 14, 2005