Bribery and Gifts Plague School Prefect Elections in Uganda

Student leadership elections in Ugandan schools are facing a significant challenge: the pervasive influence of money and gifts, mirroring trends seen in national politics. Despite directives from the Ministry of Education and Sports aimed at promoting meritocracy, the practice of vote-buying continues to sideline many deserving students.

Milly Mutonyi, a former student in Mukono District, recounted her experience contesting for an academic prefect position. While she lacked the funds to bribe fellow students with canteen food and sweets like her competitors, she relied on innovative campaigning, including singing and dancing, and the support of sympathetic peers. This approach ultimately led her to victory, highlighting that merit can overcome financial barriers, though it is an uphill battle.

The commercialization of these elections creates a barrier for students from less affluent backgrounds. Beyond the cost of printing campaign materials, the pressure to offer financial inducements is immense. School administrators acknowledge the Ministry’s guidelines, which explicitly ban bribery and the use of commercially produced campaign materials like T-shirts and posters. However, some students argue that when adult politicians engage in similar practices, it becomes difficult to discourage the behavior among youth.

The Ministry of Education’s guidelines are designed to ensure transparent and peaceful leadership selection processes, prohibiting bribery, hate speech, and the formation of political parties. Schools are tasked with eliminating inducements and promoting merit-based selections. While institutions like St. Julian Schools and Midland High School actively discourage commercialization, they admit that clandestine bribery is difficult to eradicate entirely. They emphasize that leaders chosen through bribery are unlikely to be accountable to their student body.

To combat rigging and promote fairness, some schools, such as Buganda Road Primary School, have implemented digital voting systems. Candidates are vetted for academic performance and disciplinary records, and their manifestos are presented during assemblies. The Ministry expects schools to establish independent electoral commissions to oversee these processes, ensuring that leadership is earned through capability and integrity, not financial clout.

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/education/gifts-money-dictate-elections-for-prefects-5497084