Premier didn’t order Balunywa to reinstate lecturers
Jul 05, 2005
SIR — On July 2, The New Vision reported that Mr. Waswa Balunywa, the Principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) had defied the Prime Minister’s directive to reinstate two academic staff.
SIR — On July 2, The New Vision reported that Mr. Waswa Balunywa, the Principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) had defied the Prime Minister’s directive to reinstate two academic staff.
The staff named were Mr. Peter Turyakira, the chairperson of Makerere University Business School Academic Staff Association and Mr. Deus Muhwezi the welfare committee chairperson.
It was reported that they were suspended for alleged misconduct and indiscipline, resulting from a misunderstanding in the distribution of sh342m which Government released to MUBS as salary enhancement for academic staff.
The correct position is that when Turyakira and Muhwezi appealed to the Prime Minister, he requested the minister and permanent secretary, Ministry of Education, to handle the matter.
The minister asked the Council of MUBS to handle the matter conclusively. In addition, the permanent secretary, Mr. F.X.K. Lubanga, wrote to Mr. Waswa Balunywa advising him to lift the interdiction of the lecturers until the Council of MUBS disposed of the matter.
The essence of Lubanga’s advice to Balunywa was that since the lecturers had accused Balunywa on behalf of the MUBS Staff Association (MUBASA), it was against the principle of natural justice to suspend them as individuals without giving them a hearing and before the Council had heard their story. Nowhere in his letter does he refer to a directive from the Prime Minister. However, the principal has rejected the permanent secretary’s advice, in writing.
Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire
Minister of Education and Sports
The staff named were Mr. Peter Turyakira, the chairperson of Makerere University Business School Academic Staff Association and Mr. Deus Muhwezi the welfare committee chairperson.
It was reported that they were suspended for alleged misconduct and indiscipline, resulting from a misunderstanding in the distribution of sh342m which Government released to MUBS as salary enhancement for academic staff.
The correct position is that when Turyakira and Muhwezi appealed to the Prime Minister, he requested the minister and permanent secretary, Ministry of Education, to handle the matter.
The minister asked the Council of MUBS to handle the matter conclusively. In addition, the permanent secretary, Mr. F.X.K. Lubanga, wrote to Mr. Waswa Balunywa advising him to lift the interdiction of the lecturers until the Council of MUBS disposed of the matter.
The essence of Lubanga’s advice to Balunywa was that since the lecturers had accused Balunywa on behalf of the MUBS Staff Association (MUBASA), it was against the principle of natural justice to suspend them as individuals without giving them a hearing and before the Council had heard their story. Nowhere in his letter does he refer to a directive from the Prime Minister. However, the principal has rejected the permanent secretary’s advice, in writing.
Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire
Minister of Education and Sports