The Relationship between Student Leaders and Political Parties: A Case Study of Makerere University

What are the characteristics and implications of the relationship between student leaders and national political parties in African flagship universities? As the most prestigious university of Uganda, Makerere University in Kampala, represents a model case for investigating the involvement of political parties in student politics in Africa. Drawing on propositions adapted from Weinberg and Walker (1969), Schmitter and Streek (1999), and others, this paper uses data generated through in-depth interviews and an online survey to analyze the relationship between political parties and student leaders. It finds that various kinds of resource exchange are key to understanding the relationship whereby variations include the financial and political strength of a political party and student leaders’ ambitions of a future political career. The paper concludes with considering the implications of the relationship in terms of the influence of partisan politics on student representation and the entrenchment of clientelism in multiparty politics in Africa.