When Makerere University students’ guild and the office of the Dean of Students took a venture in finding the finest cultural group at campus in the “goat land”- University Hall (UH), the Basoga Nseete emerged the overall winners. This came after a stiff, sparkling and colourful two-day event from Friday 31^st and Saturday 1^st.

If their emotional outburst after being declared winners is anything to go by, it was clear that they didn’t expect to be crowned the overall cultural gala 2014 champions.

 The event which started at 10am on Day two had full time attendance even before it kicked off as throngs of students came in early to prepare for the day’s action.

This sparkling, colourful event was graced by alumni, and crème de la crème of high profile men and women, lecturers, Hon. Frolence Nebanda, the District woman Member of Parliament (MP) for Butaleja, and the area MP Hon. Ssebuliba Mutumba Muddu Awulira of Kawempe North.

Aber Lillian the Deputy Guild president hailed the participants for their efforts in organising and performances made.

 “It is not a matter of who is winning, but it is about how you socialise and reform the culture. We all know that culture is the beauty that we have and we have to appreciate. When you lose, just know you have not lost but you have postponed the win and when you win, just make sure you do the best so next time you keep the fire burning,” Aber advised.

Rivan Peter Ahumuza, the warden of University Hall acting as chief guest and Dean of students thanked guests and participants for making the day a great success. “The university management has been in support of this event. I wish there was media coverage so that the even those who have not come can know that it is not always the madness of the strikes but that such events normally happen in Makerere,” said Ahumuza.

A team of highly qualified adjudicators were carefully selected to reflect impartiality and efficiency. It was composed of 5 men and a woman headed by Mr. Godfrey Kanaabi a musician and also an alumnus. Others were Mr. Lutaaya a teacher by profession, Miss Amina Namakula, Mr.William Ssentumbwe, Mr. Felix Isingoma and Mr. Okello Bosco.

The jury team gave pieces of advice and some observations as well as recommendations to the participating groups. Mr. Kanaabi said most groups wasted a lot of time in staging drama. He also noted that for poems, many groups didn’t know how to write scripts, and that for the dances, members took long, since it was a timely dancing, members were encouraged next time to be punctual and the team finally commended the groups for participation.

The judges considered 8 items including the University anthem where all groups got equal marks since it was a mass choir, cultural anthem where Kasese Makerere Students Association (KAMASA) and Makerere University Abasoga Nseete Students Association (MUANSA) emerged the best with 83%, in poems, KAMASA got 95%,in Drama MUANSA and KAMASA got 88%, folk songs KAMASA 96%, folk dance Adhola Makerere Students Association(AMSA) with 96%,Solo Teso Students Association (TESDA) tied with Makerere University Bagwere Students Association (MUBASA) with 95% and finally Kitara Students Association (KISA) was best in Dress code.

A total of 22 groups had registered for the Gala, however, 21performed. The winning group Basoga Nseete had 709 points; followed by Acholi with 674, as KAMASA the crowd’s favourites came 3^rd with 673, however, Makerere University Kenya Students Association (MUKESA) came last with 191 points.

  Students demonstrated a total commitment to the cultural gala in displaying the best of their cultural heritage as reflected in their endeavour to buy appropriate costumes, investing time and money in the preparations.

Also manifested high level of maturity in accepting the results in a hotly contested gala. In the last year’s gala, the Baganda Nkobazambogo students who could not accept the results went away with the gala shield. In this year’s event, Nkobazambogo didn’t participate owing to that same reason.

Despite the efforts by the defending champions displayed by Kasese Makerere Students Association (KAMASA), who fought tooth and nail, by the end of the contest, judges were able to give it to the event’s best performing Nseete group.

The full groups’ performance;

1^st Basoga Nseete Students association with 709 points,

2^nd Acholi Makerere Students Association with 674 points,

3^rd Kasese Makerere Students Association with 673 points,

4^th with 665, Lango Students Association,

5^th with 663, Teso Students Development Association (TESDA),

6^th with 657, Bamasaba Makerere Students Association,

7^th with 649, Karamoja Students Development Association,

8^th with, 644, Adhola University Students Association,

9^th with, 639, Nebbi Makerere Students Association,

10^th with, 634, Makerere University Tooro Students,

11^th with, 624 Kitara Students Association,

11^th with, Bakiga Students Association,

13^th with, 604 Makerere university Kisoro students Association(MUKISA)

14^th with, 611 Makerere Arua Students Union

15^th with, 608 Bunyole Development Students Association

16^th with, 583 Sebei Students Association

17^th with 573 Busia District

18^th with 570, Makerere Bagwere,

19^th with 558 Madi Makerere,

20^th with 540, Makerere University Banyarwanda Students Association (MUBASA)

21^st with 191, Makerere University Kenya Students Association (MUKESA).