This article examines the emergence of the author as a leader of the
Universities Academic Staff Union at a university in East Africa. Using the
role, resource and constraint-based theories as well as autoethnography, which
is a sub-category of qualitative research, the author traces the intellectual and
political ferment that enabled him to become a unionist. From the discussion
that emanated from the data he collected, from memos, newspaper articles
and personal memories, it became increasingly clear that as a unionist his story
demonstrates tensions, contestations and in some cases expensive trade-offs.
Overall, there were actions that he performed well and others that he would
implement differently were he given a second chance to lead the union