Africa-Press – Uganda. After years of bruising battles with Makerere University Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, the staff association’s outspoken general secretary Dr Jude Ssempebwa has broken from his confrontational script to commend him for lifting the ban on open guild campaigns.
Ssempebwa, an associate professor and the dean of the East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development, says restoring open student guild campaigns is a meaningful step toward reviving democratic culture at the university.
Ssempebwa — who has previously been suspended, locked out of campus and openly clashed with management over academic freedom, staff welfare and governance — said the decision signals that Makerere can still reclaim institutional openness after a period he described as “digging itself into a hole.”
“We were worried the hole Professor Nawangwe was digging himself and Makerere into a hole that would be too deep to climb out of, but his decision on the guild shows not all is lost,” he said.
“We now look forward to freedom sipping back into Makerere. It has never been personal. Nawangwe is a public servant — demanding accountability of him is patriotism.”
The guild campaigns were lifted last week after nearly five years. Nawangwe said the university was ready to return to vibrant campus politics, but with discipline.
“We are restoring a vibrant, participatory, and safe democratic culture on campus. Freedom must be balanced with responsibility to ensure peaceful and respectful campaigns that do not disrupt academic programmes or endanger persons or property,” he said.
Ssempebwa welcomed the tone and echoed Nawangwe’s emphasis on civic learning beyond lectures.
“Professor Nawangwe, in his message, emphasized the importance of leadership training beyond the classroom, noting that the university must provide students space for free expression and engagement in governance,” Ssempebwa said.
“That is the Makerere we want — one where leaders are made both in class and in the public square.”
He added that if the current posture is sustained, relations between staff and management can normalise.
“If the spirit continues like this, we would work without pushing and pulling. That should have been the spirit in the first place. And yes — we can shake hands.”
Makerere suspended open campaigns in July 2022 after the fatal stabbing of law student Michael Betungura during guild election clashes. The university briefly revived elections in 2023 but limited campaigns to virtual platforms until last week’s announcement.
For years, Muasa under Ssempebwa has pressed the administration on promotions, staff welfare and academic freedoms — pressure that frequently put him at odds with Nawangwe.
The latest exchange, however, signals a tentative détente on the Hill, contingent, as Ssempebwa noted, on democratic space continuing to expand rather than contract.
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