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Victory dance halted as UoN student leader Ann Mvurya fights to keep position

May 10th, 2019 1 min read

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.

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.