Were UoN elections rigged? As Group threatens to protest over concluded student polls

A row has emerged at the University of Nairobi after a section of students expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the elections for new leaders held over the weekend.

This is after it emerged that the immediate former student leader Mr Antony Manyara and his team were locked out of the polls because an international student in his team did not have a student pass.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Mr. Orina Makori, who is the chairman of the National University Students Union said that the new head of the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA) Ms Anne Mvurya did not win the elections fairly.

“We plan to hold a demonstration very soon. We cannot allow a person that was not voted in to lead us. We will ask the administration to allow us to have another student’s governing council that will stand with the comrades while the administration has the one that they want,” the second-year student said.

via GIPHY

Mr Manyara, who was seeking a second term, said he was locked out by the administration over his stand on issues affecting students.

But after failing to get clearance, he supported Ms Mvurya.

“To be honest, there was a cartel that didn’t want me in the ballot. I was the most popular and preferred but I decided to support Anne,” said Mr Manyara.

He said the international student in his camp who had issues with student pass had lost hers but the university management rejected documents to show she was in the process of renewing it.

Meanwhile, politicians continued to congratulate Ms Mvurya, among them with Kirinyaga and Nairobi governors Anne Waiguru and Mike Sonko.

After her swearing in on Sunday, Mr Sonko hosted  Ms Mvurya and her team and shared photos on twitter:

Ms. Waiguru said: “ Congratulations Anne Mwangi Mvurya for your historic win as the first woman leader of the UON Student Association. Confirms what we’ve always known; women CAN and WILL make great leaders. Make us proud!”

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