Makerere students, staff want Dr. Nyanzi suspended

A body that unites former students and current staff of Makerere University has asked the institution's top management to suspend Dr. Stella Nyanzi who stripped to her knickers and shared her nude photos on social media on Monday. 

"We request management to suspend Dr. Nyanzi, as investigations continue. Thereafter, we shall request Prof Mamdani to appear before the commission of enquiry so that we get his side of the story," Dr. Tanga Odoi, the chairperson of the convocation said during a press conference yesterday. 

The convocation condemned Dr. Nyanzi's refusal to participate in the five year PhD programme at the institute. 

The PhD programme was started in 2012, a year after Nyanzi was hired as a researcher at the institute. According to Prof. Mamdani, all research fellows were requested to use 50 percent of their time teaching, and the rest for research. 

However, Nyanzi during her protest maintained that she cannot teach, since that was not enshrined in her contract.   

Odoi explained that every good researcher must disseminate information and one of the ways it is tested is through teaching if one has the chance. 

"I found it very ridiculous that someone says she is not supposed to teach because she is a research fellow. Most research fellows world over yearn for classes so that they get opinions to improve their research," he said. 

Tango Odio outside Dr. Stella Nyanzi's locked office at Makerere University. Photo by Racheal Nassuuna

Likewise, he noted that principals, deans, directors and the vice chancellor are involved in teaching activities within the university and thus Dr. Nyanzi cannot be an exception. 

"If she does not leave the office and remains protected by the vice chancellor, I shall organise convocation members and organise a tsunami to kick the VC out of that office," he said. 

The convocation members said the university should act fast on Nyanzi, like they in the case of Dr. Chris Bakuneeta, a senior lecturer at the university's department zoology who is on remand over the alleged rape of a student.   

"Nyanzi did not only rape the children of this world with her nudity and vulgarity, but also the academia, especially those who have read books to the level of PhD." 

Dr. Nyanzi, in her earlier interviews with the media said she stripped to get justice against Prof. Mamdani's dictatorial way of running the institute. 

But Odoi insisted that there were other avenues that she could have used to express herself. He cited a case in which Dr. Josephine Nabukenya a senior lecturer at the college of Computing was allegedly harassed by the then Vice chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba. 

"When Nabukenya found that she could be heard by management, she resorted to MUASA and her issues were sorted. She never undressed," he said. 

In light of Prof. Mamdani's claims that he had written to the university about Dr. Nyanzi's position at the institute in 2014 with no response, Odoi cited a management crisis at the university. 

"Management was slow in handling this situation. Prof. Edward Kirumira, the principal college of Humanities and social sciences to which MISR belongs is highly recognised and should have presented it to the university council early enough," he said. 

Probe committee to present findings today 

The committee that was constituted to probe the issues at MISR is expected to present its findings to the Vice Chancellor today. However, by yesterday, Prof. Mamdani still maintained that he would not cooperate with it. 

When contacted, Prof. John Ddumba Ssentamu the univeristy's vice chancellor said he could not discuss the matter until the investigation is complete.