Tension mounts as Makerere guild candidates prepare to face off at single rally venue

Tension is rising in the race for the next Guild President of Makerere University after the two candidates announced campaign events at the same venue on the same day.

The contest is between Gracious Kadondi, who is affiliated to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), and former Miss Uganda Hannah Karema.

After weeks of charged rallies, the rivalry is now set to test nerves in Makerere Kikoni, where both camps say they will hold events at Nalika Lane on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Kadondi has billed her event as a “Street Jam” and says it will feature musicians including King Saha, Nubian Li, Dax Vibez, Kabako and Nina Roz. 

Karema, on the other hand, has branded hers as “Retake yebinyanya nyanya” and says it will feature DJ Suuna Ben, Sheebah Karungi, B2C and others.

The clash over the venue has deepened fears of possible violence, with each side claiming it booked Nalika Lane first. 

Karema, who has faced accusations that she deliberately picked the venue to trigger tension, rejected the claims in a statement issued to her supporters.

In the statement, Karema said her team had formally written to the Inspector General of Police seeking permission to host a series of campaign events in Kikoni, including a porridge night at MISH Hostel and a street jam at Douglas Villa and Nalika Lane.

She said all the events had been cleared by the authorities.

Karema says her team had booked Nalika Lane in advance and accused unnamed rivals of taking advantage of delays in releasing campaign flyers to announce an event at the same venue on the same day. She challenged anyone claiming to have booked the venue earlier to present verifiable evidence to the public.

Police had not by Monday issued guidance on how the rival events would be managed.

The latest standoff follows earlier chaos in the campaign season. On March 27, 2026, Makerere University authorities halted the 92nd guild presidential debate after clashes broke out between supporters of Kadondi and Karema shortly after Karema’s remarks. 

Maureen Owomugisha, speaking for the Guild Electoral Commission, said the debate would be rescheduled once the situation had calmed down.