Elected UoN student leader fights to keep position
What you need to know:
Ms Mwangi garnered 24 votes against Samuel Ayoma’s eight while Ertiman Oile got 4.
She replaced Mr Antony Manyara who has been the chairman of the association since last year.
- The polls were conducted in April y through an electoral college.
University of Nairobi student leader Ann Mwangi Mvurya is fighting to keep her position after her main opponent challenged the results of the elections before a special tribunal.
Mr Samuel Ayoma, who emerged second with 8 votes against Ms Mvurya’s 24, wants her victory nullified claiming that the election process was not fair and credible.
On Thursday, Ms Mvurya appeared before the tribunal which is chaired by a city lawyer accompanied by her advocate but the case was pushed to Tuesday following a request by Mr Ayoma.
POWERFUL UNSA
Ms Mvurya was elected in April and replaced Antony Manyara who was disqualified from contesting.
She is the first female chairperson of the powerful University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA), which was previously known as SONU.
The polls were conducted through electoral college. Mr Orina Makori, the chairman of the National University Students Union, also claimed that the new student leader was elected unfairly.
According to the Act, the students association is to be governed by a students council comprising a chairperson and a vice chairperson who must be of opposite gender, a treasurer, a secretary-general who is the secretary to the council, and three other members to represent special interests of students.
Those elected in leadership positions must reflect national diversity; and have not more than two-thirds of its members being of the same gender.
The students association must constitute itself into electoral colleges based on either academic departments, schools or faculties.
“The students of each electoral college constituted under sub-section (1C) shall elect three representatives from amongst persons who are not candidates under subsection (1a); and of whom not more than two-thirds shall be of the same gender.
"The representatives of each electoral college shall elect the members of the student council within 30 days of the election under subsection (1d),” the Act says.
A member of the student council is required to hold office for a term of one year and may be eligible for re-election for one final term.
