“You will not turn our Makerere University Convocation into a political Party”- Tanga Odoi tells off critics

The Makerere University Convocation chairman, Dr Tanga Odoi has lashed out at his fellow alumni who disorganized the election of the association leadership a few day ago.

While addressing journalists at Makerere University on Tuesday, Dr Tanga said that Uganda is facing a problem called politics and every good thing is now politicized thus leading to the loss of its true foundational meaning.

“Court accepted their case but asked to let the election continue but they went on and caused a stampede to disrupt the floor and because there was life at stake, Police had to come in. No one knows what would have happened. So I don’t see anything Police did wrong yet they are the ones who caused the chaos,” Dr Tanga said.

He also cautioned his critics that they cannot use chaos to have their way into the leadership of the convocation.

“It was unfortunate for the members who had gone to court to again come back and start to sing political songs of opposition political parties turning our convocation into a political dilemma. We cannot just be intimidated just by the few hooligans.”

He added that despite what happened, elections went and the new executive was elected and they will assume office on 2nd April 2023. The chairman however, warned those who disagreed with the elections not to turn the association into a political party.

“You cannot turn our Association into a political party, nobody is above the law. Every community has an order that it follows therefore nobody will interfere with Makerere University Convocation because of their political motives. We shall keep following the constitution of Makerere University Convocation,” he said.

Dr Tanga’s warning follows last Friday’s chaos at Makerere University as the alumni and staff elected new leaders of their umbrella body; the Makerere University Convocation. The chaos resulted from a standoff between the current leaders who were organizing the election and some of the candidates.

The opposing group led by former Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga first asked Dr Tanga Odoi and the returning officer Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza to postpone the exercise in order to rectify the anomalies they had identified.