Kyambogo staff petition university over delayed pay

By John Masaba
 
Twenty members of staff at Kyambogo University have petitioned the university administration over the delayed payment of their allowances. 
 

The petitioners (all of them lecturers from the department of languages and communication) accuse the University of failing to pay their allowances, contrary to the university policy which entitles staff to a number of allowances, including marking allowances, coursework, research supervision, invigilation and marking allowances.
 

The petitioners said their monies have not been paid for three months.  In a four page petition dated October 8, and addressed to the university secretary, Sam Akorimo, they accuse the University of mistreatment of staff ‘whenever we follow up on our payments’.
 

“We have come to realise that there is so much insensitivity discrimination and marginalization of staff, a cancer which is leading to the gradual and systematic destruction of the university,” said the petition.
 

The petition added: “We request that that your office calls to order all those who have only to be pushed every time there us a payment to the teaching.”
 

Efforts to speak to Akorimo were futile as calls on his known telephone contact went unanswered. When contacted, the university spokesperson, Lawrence Mandete declined to comment.
 

New Vision could not get a comment from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Elly Katunguka, who is reportedly away in US.
 

However, a member of staff in the department of chemistry who preferred anonymity said the development owes to the fact that none of staff at the university have not been issued appointment letters yet.
 

“We are told the university cannot pay us unless we have appointment letters,” the source said. The source added that although it is only staff of the department of languages and communication that have formally raised their complaints in writing, other departments at the university are equally suffering.
 

Kyambogo employs about 1060 permanent staff and about 5,000 part-time and casual staff. The source said the delay has hit part-time hardest as they rely on the allowance to carry out their duties at the university.
     

In May 300 staff of the university refused to invigilate students following failure by university to clear in time sh1.5b meant for the supervisors, leaving thousands of students stranded. 
 

Last month Auditor General, John Muwanga, released a report which detailed a number of anomalies in finance, assets and human resource management. The report which followed a petition to Parliament by a section staff and students found that support staff and part-time staff were irregularly recruited without being interviewed.