James Churchill Ssentamu has been elected as the 91st guild president of Makerere University, Uganda's oldest university.
Ssentamu, the son of Fred Nyanzi, the head of mobilisation for the National Unity Platform (NUP), won the election with a total of 3,459 votes.
His nearest competitor, John Bosco Rukundo from the National Resistance Movement (NRM), received 3,267 votes, while Ismaili Basalirwa, from NUP, came in third with 3,126 votes.
Ssentamu is also the nephew of NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, and serves as the secretary of the Baganda Nkobazambogo Students Association at Makerere University.
He will succeed Vincent Lubega Nsamba, the outgoing guild president.
It should be remembered that before this election, Ssentamu had lost the NUP nomination to Basalirwa.
However, he decided to run as an independent candidate, a choice that was met with mixed reactions, particularly from some factions within NUP.
As he takes office, Ssentamu faces significant challenges at Makerere University, including rising tuition fees and issues related to academic freedom, which he pledged to address during his campaign.
The Makerere University guild president, democratically elected by students, leads the students' guild, acts as head of the guild cabinet, and is a member of the University Council, ensuring student representation and understanding of university decisions.