Despite losing the party primaries of the National Unity Platform (NUP)’s people power chapter in Makerere, facing financial hurdles, being bullied online, and doubted at every turn, 22-year-old Churchill James Ssentamu became the 91st guild president of Makerere University as an independent candidate, writes YUDAYA NANGONZI.
On March 21, 2025, Churchill James Ssentamu, a second-year student pursuing a degree in Social Sciences, took oath as Makerere University’s latest guild president. He said the moment of being sworn in was not just about winning an election but was divine timing to serve in Uganda’s oldest university’s top student leadership position.
“I was endorsed by God. I had a strong conviction that I would make it because God called me to serve in this direction,” Ssentamu said.
“I prayed and fasted about the guild race with my mother, and God was on our side throughout the journey amidst several challenges.”
According to the Makerere Students Guild Statute, any student seeking or holding a leadership position at any level of the Students Guild shall be on normal progress academically, with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0.
The statute further indicates that a student elected or appointed must have completed a minimum of two semesters at the university for which the student sat examinations that constitute the CGPA of 3.0.
During an interview at the university last week, Ssentamu said he worked toward achieving all the requirements the day he joined the university in 2023. However, when he declared his intentions, he was doubted and demoralized by even those closest to him.
This, he insisted, motivated him to aspire for the top spot to prove his doubters that “nothing is impossible with God”.
BORN TO LEAD
Born in a politically active family, Ssentamu is the fourth of eleven children of Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu and Majorine Nyanzi. His father is a veteran political mobilizer and the current head of mobilization for the National Unity Platform (NUP), while his uncle, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu “Bobi Wine”, is the party’s president.
Despite this political lineage, Ssentamu’s journey into leadership was not paved in privilege. He began his education at Mother Care Preparatory School, Bunamwaya, Cleveland Hill primary school, Kyebando, and completed primary seven at Little Muheji School in Nansana.
He joined St Mary’s S.S Kitende for S1 and S2 and later transferred to St Julian High School Gayaza from S4 to S6. This is where his leadership spark ignited but was met with serious resistance.
“While in senior six, I contested for school president, but there was a teacher who dismissed my ambitions. I was informed that I was better off standing as a timekeeper and could not win such a big position,” he recalled.
He later won the student presidency, but that moment taught him that belief in oneself and God matters more than other people’s opinions. That early experience would echo years later during his guild presidential race where doubts and rejection re-emerged.
He, however, noted that he has lived in adversity throughout his life.
“I believe leadership is a calling, and I was born to lead. However, for some reason, there’s always controversy around me whenever I set my eyes on big things. I was mocked for incompetence, but I shamed all my doubters that God can do things beyond their expectations,” he said.
At face value, Ssentamu agrees that he does not impress as a leader until he engages. When he first joined Makerere, he recalled not having the “right” social status but over time, he adjusted to fulfill his passion of being a leader.
YEAR-LONG GUILD HUSTLE
Ssentamu began quietly laying the groundwork for his guild presidency campaign in March 2024. From the onset, it was clear that this would not be the typical traditional open campaign with loud rallies and jovial processions on and off the campus.
Ever since the 2022 tragic death of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) law student, Bewotti Batungura, during the 88th Makerere guild campaign scuffle, guild politics have shifted drastically.
Police confirmed then that Batungura had gone to campaign for his colleague on the FDC ticket when he got fatally wounded by a blow from a broken glass bottle to his neck, after he was attacked near Nsibirwa hall at Makerere.
As a result, the university council banned open-air rallies. Ssentamu said the campaigns have since changed to being quiet, online, and heavily policed.
“This was the hardest campaign I have ever done. We were limited to lecture rooms, halls of residence, hostels off campus, and social media visibility among students,” he said.
By the end of the guild race, Ssentamu had spent close to Shs 28m – funds he raised from his parents, relatives and friends. The expenses ranged from logistics, branding, data, and team welfare to special giveaways as strategic tools to win the hearts of students.
On Valentine’s day, he bought apples for students while on Women’s day, he offered ice cream for girls at their halls of residence. For this interview, he showed up in a Toyota Land Cruiser V8, but he quickly explained: “This is my father’s car, and I got permission to use it. He also allowed me to use some of his cars during my campaigns. I will make money and buy mine.”
Overall, Ssentamu had a budget of Shs 60m for the guild race. NUP would have raised Shs 10m of that, had he secured the party ticket. He remains grateful to his team for mobilizing resources and that his campaign was largely run on love rather than money.
“Students showed me real love and that reduced my expenditure. When my father got abducted [by armed men and transported in a drone to an unknown location for four days], people got emotional about my case because a few students had a clue about my family back- ground,” he said.
He added that coming from a political family has positively impacted him.
LOSING THE PRIMARIES
He entered the race as a member of the People Power pressure group under NUP. However, during the party primaries, he got 214 votes, while Ismail Basalirwa won with 232 votes.
According to Ssentamu, the 18-vote margin was painful yet the entire process had been flawed. What hurt him more was the decision from the election management committee to stick by the results despite his petition citing irregularities such as bribery and conflict of interest among the organizers.
Ssentamu admitted that he opted to withdraw from the race that evening, but a late-night meeting at his hall of residence, Nsibirwa, changed everything. His team encouraged him to run as an independent.
They reminded him the university general election was bigger than the NUP party primaries as one does not need a political party to contest for guild president. This decision, however, caused a stir within his family. His father, a senior person in NUP, was particularly upset.
“For some days, he didn’t speak to me. He believed that my stand would reflect badly on him and that I was rebelling against the party. I decided to be big-headed a bit to [stand] my ground because I knew the NUP candidate could easily lose the election to the NRM candidate,” he said.
His mother stood by him with the spiritual support he needed to win as an independent. Eventually, Chairman Nyanzi, as Ssentamu’s father is referred to, sent some people to Makerere to assess his support on the ground. When they reported that he still had overwhelming support, Nyanzi changed his stance to support him.
Initially, his uncle Bobi Wine, was also sup- portive but after the people power primaries, “his principled character would not allow him to stick with me. I respected his decision”.
Ssentamu won with 3,459 votes against NRM’s John Bosco Rukundo who polled 3,267, and NUP’s Ismail Basalirwa came third with 3,126 votes. On the day of swearing in, Nyanzi was noticeably absent – receiving treatment abroad after the abduction left him physically weakened.
Ssentamu was joined by his mother, relatives, and friends as he took office from Vincent Lubega Nsamba, the 90th guild president.
STUDENT-CENTERED CABINET
Now in office, Ssentamu has a list of priorities to undertake. At the top of his list is restoring the guild’s influence in the university’s decision-making.
His agenda also includes advocating for lenient tuition policies, timely disbursement of allowances for government students, addressing the perennial issue of missing marks, lobbying for improved infrastructure in halls of residence, and constructing more female halls of residence.
“Currently, [due to renovations on Mary Stuart hall next door] we have female students housed in Lumumba hall, a traditionally male residence. That is not right. We must advocate for new halls to reduce overcrowding, while ensuring gender-sensitive accommodation,” he said.
He also wants to revive student social life which was revoked, with organized and safe events on campus. While he describes his leadership as a student-centered cabinet and God-led, he plans to work with the university’s leadership to achieve their goals.
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can achieve as a guild president if you don’t work with management. However, working with them doesn’t mean compromising students’ rights,” Ssentamu emphasized.
Meanwhile, Ssentamu insists that he has not yet decided on a political career. He, however, explained that with roots in Kampala Central, Kawempe South, and Gomba East constituencies, he has many options for the future. Many of Makerere’s former guild presidents have ended up in active national politics.
Democratic Party president Norbert Mao, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, Charles Rwomushana, Minister Tom Butime, former UPC president Olara Otunnu, MP Asuman Basalirwa, Sarah Kagingo, Anna Adeke, among many others, started their political careers in the office Ssentamu now occupies.
For now, he remains focused on serving the students who elected him. Also backed by a Shs 328m guild budget and a salary from the university, which he declined to disclose, among other fringe benefits, Ssentamu is committed to serving his term with integrity.
