Makerere Social Science dons end strike

By Innocent Anguyo and Pascal Kwesiga

MAKERERE University lecturers at the School of Social Sciences Wednesday returned to class, a week after laying down their tools in disapproval of the college system of administration. They were also striking over outstanding arrears of up to sh500m.

They wanted the University to clear their arrears as a prerequisite for them to resume work. Three years after the establishment of the college system at Makerere, the School of Social Sciences wants to secede from the scheme over alleged inefficiencies and red tape.

The School also wanted to be recognized as a semi-autonomous administrative unit with direct link to the higher echelons of power such the office of the Vice Chancellor, just like the School of Law.

According to Hasifa Kabejja, the school’s public relations officer, the lecturers resumed tutorials after reaching a temporary middle-ground with Makerere’s administration.

In a meeting on Monday between the school’s staff and the Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof John Ddumba Ssentamu, it was resolved that the staff would resume work yesterday, as the university looks for money to clear their arrears.

Kabejja said Prof Ddumba also asked the dean of the School of Social Sciences to constitute a committee to write a report detailing the demerits of the college system.

Split from College System

In a meeting held in the School of Social Sciences Upper Lecture Theatre on February 12, staff of the school resolved to severe ties with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) with immediate effect.

School of Social Sciences reports to CHUSS. The staff told the University administration to reinstate the functions, reporting relations, and financial accounts at departmental and School levels as they were before College formation

Dr. Florence Akiiki Asiimwe of the school argues that the collegiate system is inefficient and ineffective because it has created several layers of authority. 

“It’s bureaucratic and we no longer meet as a faculty. We are too many and decision making is hard,” she added.

She added that the system gave the principal all powers over finance and left the dean as “a scarecrow”, adding “All requisitions have to go through the principal and as a result we spend forever to get something small like toilet papers and scholastic items,”

The school also resolved that the university should refund their contributions made for the construction of a new Social Sciences building which was never built.

Asiimwe explained that they collected about sh300m in the 1990s to kick start the project. 

“This money must be beyond that now because it has been accumulating,” she added.