Mitchell Hall

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Mitchell Hall

Mitchell Hall

@MitchellHallMAK

Oldest and most prestigious students' Hall of residence @Makerere | Formidable MITCHELLEX solidarity with @ComplexHall

Makerere University, Kampala Katılım Ekim 2015
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Mitchell Hall
Mitchell Hall@MitchellHallMAK·
MITCHELL FIRST, ALWAYS.
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Mitchell Hall
Mitchell Hall@MitchellHallMAK·
ARSENAL again! Eeeh..
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Mitchell Hall
Mitchell Hall@MitchellHallMAK·
Ah, you're a perfect example of an elderly who hasn't even inspired yourself. Maybe focus on clearing those retakes you're still wrestling with at Law School before positioning yourself as anyone's role model. Perhaps, you thought it's a requirement to be recognized as a Mitchellex elder. Sorry for you, Mr. Bumba!
Bumba Erinest@bumbaerinest

Mitchell hall elders have tainted the mighty hall. @MitchellHallMAK @ComplexHall . Being an elder should not dependent on the number of retakes someone has gotten or years one has repeated classes. Those are elderly not elders. We need elders who are inspiration to the rest

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Mitchell Hall retweetledi
JUSTINE THE PHILOSOPHER🧠(DR)
His legacies remain unchallenged
Mitchell Hall@MitchellHallMAK

....Like its ancestors and elders Raise the banner of victory. We continue to pride in our Ancestors and Elder. RIP @JacobOulanyah By @norbertmao I joined Makerere University @Makerere in 1988 where I was admitted to study Law. I was assigned to Mitchell Hall. It was in Mitchell Hall that I met Jacob @JacobOulanyah . What first drew me to him was his ability to express himself with clarity and confidence. This first came to my notice during one of the public lectures I attended. Every Tuesday there was something called the Tuesday Discussion hosted at the Department of Political Science. The organizers were those known then as Cadres among the student body. Among the most outspoken of these cadres were Noble Mayombo, Felix Kulayigye, Chris Turyatunga, Ngabo, Ofwono Opondo @OfwonoOpondo , Robert Masolo and Richard Karemire. Every week a guest speaker came from the military @cdfupdf or government circles to speak on a topical issue. The purpose of the discussions were to enable students engage with those in charge of decision making in the country. The discussions were often heated and Jacob always spoke out strongly on the topical issues. As one who had been among the best performing A-Level students in the country I was entitled to an annual cash allowance of Shs.16,000/-. I decided to use the money to buy a radio cassette player, some cups, plates and clothes. But I didn’t know Kampala well and feared getting lost. I asked Jacob to show me around as I went shopping. This he did graciously. Years later, Jacob told me that at that time he also didn’t know Kampala well. I was stunned by Jacob’s confidence! It was the tradition of the Halls of residence to elect a Chief Fresher every year from among the newly admitted students. I registered my intentions and started canvassing for support. And one of my most fervent supporters was Jacob. The title of Chief Fresher sounds big but in reality the main work was that of a Cheer Leader for our sports teams. Other assignments included petitioning the powers that be in the Hall for redress of minor problems. The office attracted no privileges apart from being recognized in the Dining Hall by the kitchen staff. The second political office I sought was on the Mitchell Hall Village Resistance Council Executive Committee. In the year 1989 there were countrywide elections of Resistance Council Executive Committees. Uganda was then under the Movement System. Parties existed only in name. Their activities were banned. The National Resistance Movement, the political wing of the National Resistance Army which had ousted the military government of Gen. Tito Okello, was in reality a State Party. Again I sought out Jacob for support. I was elected to the position of Secretary for Information and Mass Mobilization. As a student leader, Jacob was a great advocate for the independence of student organizations @MakGuild . He developed early a strong love of reading. We exchanged many ideas based on our readings of history and political philosophy. His passion for human rights shone through his speeches. Jacob believed that everybody is entitled to the protection of the law, including those who despise the law. Jacob initiated a discussion group known as the Ideological College. This entity raised serious questions about the democratic credentials of the NRM @NRMOnline and its militaristic policies. This attracted the adverse attention of the security circles in Uganda. Based on the following he had, Jacob toyed with the idea of contesting for the position of President of the Makerere Students Guild @MakGuild . After he declared his intentions, some security operatives confronted him with severe threats. When he returned from what must have been a stormy encounter with the security operatives, Jacob told me that he would no longer run for Guild President. He declared his support for me and even some of his would be financial backers decided to contribute to my campaigns. The Guild race attracted many candidates. I had to face the late Noble Mayombo as my main opponent. There were others like Amon Reeves Muzoora, Vuba Charles Londa from the populous Lumumba @LumumbaHall and Mary Stuart @MaryStuartHall alliance and Sam Lyomoki from Northcotte Hall. When news reached us that Mayombo had launched his campaign in a colorful event in Nkrumah Hall @nkrumah_hall where the over 300 participants each had at least three beers, I went to Jacob’s room to consult on how we would deal with a polished, eloquent and financially loaded opponent. Jacob’s advice was that we should not fear Mayombo but we should try to ensure that we project Mayombo as an apologist for the unpopular Structural Adjustment Program which the government has swallowed lock, stock and barrel. The Structural Adjustment Program which we christened “Stomach Adjustment Program” imposed austerity measures on the government leading to budgetary cuts on social services like education, health and security. Mayombo was a soldier holding the rank of Lieutenant. On his campaign poster his message was “Tilting the Balance of Forces in Favour of Makerere”! He was basically saying that he would be a positive influence on the government and the university would benefit. My campaign poster had the message “Solidarity, Guild Autonomy and Greater Student Power”. I wanted the students to assert their power. Jacob was in the inner circle of my campaigns alongside other key players. One day we decided to plant a question which we thought would trip Mayombo. We deployed someone to put it to Mayombo that as a serving soldier he was a State agent. Mayombo’s being a soldier was largely a whisper because he was never seen in uniform. When the question was put, Mayombo did not deny that he was a soldier. Looking straight at the person who had asked the question, he went down on one knee, struck the table on which he was standing repeatedly saying “It is an insult to call me a State agent. I am the State!” Our secret weapon intended to turn our nemesis into a villain fell flat. In the meantime, the campaign turned into a two horse race between Mayombo and myself. I was leading but Mayombo with his well oiled campaign machinery, was capable of overtaking me. That is when I was approached by Bruce Kwarisiima, a final year law student proposing a meeting with Mayombo and some people from government. I turned to Jacob. I told him I expected them to ask me to step down for Mayombo because I was the only person in the race capable of defeating Mayombo’s strong and well financed campaign. I consulted Jacob and he said “What do these people think we are!” We then agreed that I should attend the meeting but under no circumstances should I agree to step down for Mayombo. We met at Campus Close Hotel in Wandegeya. The team from government told me that even though I was running a strong campaign, I could not defeat Mayombo because he was a flagbearer for the historical Movement. They promised to reimburse my expenses and to have Mayombo appoint me Vice President. I declined the offers and insisted that I would be in the race till the end. “If I lose, I lose”, I told them. When I convened the meeting of the core campaign team members we agreed on a strategy of forming an alliance with one of the other key candidates. With Mayombo surging forward, we needed to do something that would demoralize his campaign. Jacob then proposed that while he agreed with the idea of the alliance, the timing would be critical. If we announced an alliance too soon Mayombo’s campaign would recover. He then suggested that we should form a last minute alliance and spread panic in Mayombo’s camp. Henry Mayega, then a residence of Complex Hall brokered the discussion which led to the Mao-Vuba Alliance. The alliance was announced on the eve of elections. The rest is history. We achieved a convincing win. After my win, our team agreed that Jacob should get elected to the student parliament known as the Guild Representative Council (GRC). Indeed Jacob was elected to the GRC and we nominated him for the position of Speaker. His rival, unsurprisingly, from Mayombo’s camp was Adolf Mwesige, former Minister and currently the Clerk to Parliament. I then held a meeting of the cabinet and proposed that we should present a motion to the GRC proposing that we should declare a lecture boycott given that our petition to the Education Minister Amanya Mushega had been ignored. The GRC adopted our proposal and recommended that we should table it before the General Assembly. But there was a problem. Holding a general assembly required the permission of the Vice Chancellor. Within a few weeks we agreed that we should defy the Reguations requiring that before the Student’s Guild can hold a general assembly they must get the permission of the Vice Chancellor. Jacob and his deputy Kenneth Wanyoto, committed to presiding over the assembly. Despite the threats issued by the Vice Chancellor through Radio Uganda. Jacob joked that the assembly would surely be a success because of the Vice Chancellor’s announcements on radio. “The man has mobilized for us”, Jacob joked. The General Assembly adopted the resolution that we go on strike. The strike went on for several weeks and there was a virtual stalemate as the government presented us in the media as spoilt and ungrateful children demanding for privileges. I’m glad that the government has now admitted that the Structural Adjustment Program was largely a disaster that handed over the rudder of our economy to foreign interests. The prolonged strike polarized the student body and we considered and adopted a plan to call off the strike to give way for negotiations. We decided to call a general assembly on 10th December, 1990 - International Human Rights Day. Early that morning before I reached the Freedom Square, the venue of the Assembly, I heard gunshots. On my way there I met Jacob. He was looking frail and appeared to have been beaten badly. He simply told me “the situation is impossible, let’s go back!” I insisted on going where the bullets were still flying. Later I learnt that Jacob had collapsed on reaching the Hall and had to be taken to Mulago hospital where he had to undergo an emergency surgery during which his spleen was removed. I also learnt that Jacob being dressed in the Speaker’s red gown was descended upon by security forces that had been deployed all over campus. They beat him, they kicked him, they punched him and hit him with gun butts. The effect of this beating was great trauma to his internal organs. This was confirmed by Jacob’s lead physician in Seattle. .....

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