Is university leadership falling from grace?

What the report says

The Observer reports on a dispute involving Makerere University Guild President Gracious Kadondi during the university’s Freshers’ ball at Impis Rugby Grounds on October 31, 2026. According to the account, Kadondi went onstage during a performance by musician Fik Fameica and asked for the microphone, but the artiste declined and told her to leave the stage. The crowd then reportedly began chanting for the performer, and Kadondi and her team withdrew while the set continued.

The piece links the incident to broader questions about student leadership and expectations for political engagement. It says Kadondi had earlier been praised in a public message from Uganda Law Society president Isaac K. Ssemakadde, who urged her to take a forceful stand on national issues such as repression and political prisoners. The article argues that her office has since focused more on campus protocol and visibility than on sustained public advocacy.

The report also says tension grew inside the guild structure after Edward Mutebi, identified as the 92nd guild minister of Culture, Mobilisation and Social Affairs, resigned on November 2. In his resignation letter, he said planning meetings with the dean of students, security and sponsors had taken place without the guild president and her vice president. The Observer uses the episode to suggest a gap between leadership image and administrative performance, while noting that some students have begun criticizing Kadondi’s handling of the office.