All participants in this year’s cultural gala will have to present their student IDs or biodata as a way of eliminating mercenaries and ensuring a fair competition. This was revealed by the Culture guild minister, Samuel Obed, during a consultative meeting between cultural leaders of the different associations and guild officials.

All cultural associations that want to participate are required to present their members' student IDs or biodata for identification, which are supposed to be presented at the guild offices before the gala kicks off.

Obed, commonly referred to as Strike machine emphasized the issue of identification since it will help eliminate non-students that some groups may be tempted to bring. “I am not going to tolerate 'mafias' in this gala. I will even be at the verification desk."

If a participant has neither the student ID nor biodata, then he/she must come with a photocopy of the admission letter and national ID with corresponding names, without which one will not participate even when he/she is a Makerere University student.

For an association to participate, it must have been fully registered with the ministry and present their certificates of registration before 31/10/2018 to enable proper planning for the cultural gala.

Byamukama Costa, the cultural leader for the Bundibugyo Makerere Students' Association (BUMASA) complained about injustice in the past galas where certain cultural associations are favoured. "The Nkoba za Mbogo are always favoured in a way...” Obed however assured participating associations that this won’t happen this time.   

On 1^st November, after another meeting with the cultural minister, each association was given 250,000/= to facilitate their rehearsals, including getting costumes, drums, and many other items to use in the gala.

Obed encouraged association leaders to pick their members' certificates from the ministry after the gala as a reward for everyone who participated. He disregarded rumours that international students will have their own gala, saying the best international association in the gala will be awarded alongside the winning Ugandan association but the competition is one.

Obed however refused to disclose what prize awaits the winning cultural association. "Go, win, and get whatever prize will have been prepared for you and don't forget that the winning association is to represent the university in national cultural expo at National Theater."

The cultural gala is an annual competition by cultural associations in music, dance and drama, poetry, art, among others. It helps to bring out the cultural diversity among the students.