Kyambogo to comply with court ruling on Ndiege

Innocent Anguyo

 Kyambogo University Council will not disregard a court ruling allowing the Vice Chancellor Prof Isaiah Omolo Ndiege to resume work, the University’s spokesperson Lawrence Madete has said.

Nakawa High Court last week ruled that Prof Ndiege should commence his duties at Uganda’s second biggest public University. Justice Wilson Masalu Musene in his ruling quashed an earlier decision reached by Kyambogo University Council dismissing Ndiege.

Madete confirmed the University Council’s receipt of the court ruling. “Council cannot debate a court order,” Madete said.

The Council last year sent Prof Ndiege on forced leave, and subsequently recommended his dismissal. Prof Ndiege nevertheless took the matter to court.  

Justice Musene argued in his ruling that the Council’s reason for removing Ndiege from office and sending him on forced leave was premature since investigations into the alleged mismanagement of the University were incomplete.

When asked whether Prof Ndiege had resumed his duties at Kyambogo, Madete said he had not sighted him on campus.

Ndiege, a Kenyan, became vice-chancellor in 2008 after the termination of Prof Lutalo Bbosa’s contract.

 “Prof Isaiah Omolo Ndiege has only up to the end of December to complete his contract and his reinstatement may not add value to the University” said Dr. Charles Twesigye, the chairperson of the Joint Meeting.

The Kyambogo students’ guild president John Mugabi urged all warring stakeholders at Kyambogo to resolve their differences amicably without disrupting the forthcoming programmes at the University.

End of semester examinations are set for 25 November 2013 while graduation is slated to take place from 19th to 20th December 2013. Prof Ndiege’s contract expires in January.

History of the issue
Around August last year, Kyambogo University staff laid down their tools vowing to resume duty on condition that the University Council, the institution’s supreme decision making body sacked Prof Ndiege.

The lecturers accused Prof Ndiege of mismanaging the university, failing to respect the governing council and staff as well as failure to effectively run the university.

Thereafter, the University Council closed the University subsequently instituting a committee to investigate the vice-chancellor, Isaiah Omolo Ndiege and his colleagues over the accusations brought to the fore by the staff.

In September, the University Council ordered that Ndiege and 11 other top officials be sent on leave to give room for fair and investigations.