Journalism@Mak Writer Asimiire Joanita had a chat with Makerere University guild president aspirant Roy Ssemboga. Below is the verbatim.

Who is Roy Ssemboga?

He is a fourth year medical student. He is the former sports minister at medical school, former chairman Nkurumah Hall and electoral commission. He is very down to earth

You seem to have a tight life style with school and leadership?

Yes, but leadership is a sacrifice, I have been a leader since childhood and a bright student. I have met the academic credentials for this race and so it’s not that hard.

 How is the campaign trail so far?

They are consuming, they are straining however nothing good comes easy and so far the feedback is positive.

You have been a leader, and why do you still need the top leadership seat of the university?

Guild presidency is not an audition, we are not going for trials so there is no time to get experience on the job therefore people need on point service delivery, which is why am in the race.

What are the most pressing issues you feel you have to address when elected guild president?

I will start with security, every year the university looses a student, the theft and the dark spots are issues to worry about.

Talking of security, last year nkurumah hall lost a student (david ojok rip) in a savagery killing, you were a former leader of the hall who is strong about security, and how did that happen?

It was so unfortunate, but I must say that there are a lot of bureaucracies which bring about most of these bad things and this needs a guild president with experience to handle the bureaucracies but I have worked with the administration effectively, When I was chairman Nkurumah hall, I was able to achieve a few things like improving the parking lot, fixing water heaters, renovation of the hall among others. I have not just been a leader but a doing leader and if I was able to do that when I was just a chairman of a hall, then I can do bigger when president.

People allege that you are government funded; you have spent a lot of money in the campaigns, how true is that?

My campaigns are funded by my friends and family, Campaigns are very expensive and that is why up to now I don’t have a convoy car, my posters are not all over. But again, it’s not about how much money you have for the campaigns but what you promise them and what you can do.

People are a bit furious because you are scrapping off facebook posts written by Bazil Mwotta’s supporters and that you are also behind the beating of mwotta’s supporters at nkurumah hall during campaigns?

That is not true; my brother Mwotta is playing sympathetic politics and spreading propaganda to make me unpopular on social media because I have the same complaints from my supporters being blocked. It’s just that Mwotta and his supporters are making merry out of it.

They have even created a fake account in my name that they use to spread wrong information, but we have decided to ignore that and concentrate on looking for votes.

Do you have any personal differences with bazil mwotta?

No, I met him like six months back and I have not even said anything bad about him or his supporters unlike them who are tarnishing ROY SSEMBOGA.

What is happening in this university’s politics seems to be what is exactly outside and so where do you see the future leadership of makerere university?

Makerere University deserves leaders who can address issues, who is well tested.

I believe Makerere deserves better but then it has issues that have been transferred from one regime to another including the unfair policies, students have strike day in day out but it also seems like it is working out?

Violence is not the solution to everything

Students are also scared of being disappointed because they elected a “tiger” but the “tiger” got in office and did the opposite, how sure will they be that you are not going to do the same?

Students didn’t choose wisely, he was un- experienced with leadership. Over 100 students missed out on graduation because of system failure, where was he as their leader? There are other challenges that affected students which he didn’t even try to address.

The other problem is he chose his cabinet wrongly, how do you get a first year student of economics and make him ICT minister, he is inexperienced with leadership.

Lastly, what is your last message to the readers?

When you see destiny calling and you see as I see, sense as I sense that the time is now to fight for the university. We are the heirs of the original revolution, whether they are working with us or not, we are going to pay any price, bear any burden, and endure any consequences to ensure the glory of the university