INTERVIEW
Jan 13, 2009
Wasswa Balunywa, the principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) is in the spotlight for allegedly laying off some senior academic staff illegally.
MY DECISIONS ARE BACKED BY LAW, SAYS BALUNYWA
Wasswa Balunywa, the principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) is in the spotlight for allegedly laying off some senior academic staff illegally.
He has also been accused of creating tribal conflicts at the Nakawa-based school. Carol Natukunda brings you his side of the story.
Why did you terminate your staff members’ contracts?
There was nothing illegal about it. Their contracts had expired and I am mandated by law to choose people to act in these positions. The deans and heads of departments are appointed by the Appointments Board on recommendation of the principal.
But three people whose contracts expired took offence when I did not recommend them for re-appointment. They lied to the Inspector General of Government (IGG) that they had been terminated illegally.
Why didn’t you renew their contracts?
We are a tertiary institution. The appointment is at my discretion. We have been giving people two-year contracts.
These people accused me of illegally removing them. But that is not true. I acted within the law. In the meantime, I requested three officials to act in their positions until the Appointments Board and Council act on the matter.
The IGG’s office ordered that they should be reinstated…
I have only seen most of these accusations in the press. Besides, these people told the IGG lies.
There seems to be some sort of in-fighting …
Whenever people have problems they try to find issues to accuse you of. I have heard that I am trying to chase away Banyankole and bring people from Busoga where I come from. I have also heard that I am appointing my girlfriends. I think this is trying to win sympathy from the public and it will not solve problems.
What exactly is going on?
Among the people who accuse me is the deputy principal (Kakuru). Then there are the accusations of the IGG, which I have only learnt about from the press.
The people making these accusations are part of management. So if there is mismanagement, it means they are part of it.
You mentioned something about an attempt to remove your deputy?
Appointment of the principal is the responsibility of the Government. We are a tertiary institution and a principal is appointed by the Education Service Commission.
We were invited to go for interviews for this position. But as far as I know, Kakuru did not appear for the interviews. My contract was renewed. So when people say I am attempting to remove him when I have worked with him for 10 years, it is unfortunate.
When will your contract expire?
After I sat for the interviews at the Education Service Commission, I was re-appointed as principal for the next five years; 2008 to 2013.
There are reports that you have failed to complete your PhD, which has not gone down well with you…
These are personal issues. I submitted my work, but I cannot tell when I will graduate. When you say I am envious, do you think Balunywa can want to get another name? Kakuru and I were at the University of Sterling in Scotland.
The conditions under which we were studying were difficult, because we were doing it part-time and at the same time doing our administrative work at MUBS. Kakuru completed his, but I am not envious of him.
I do not regret that mine has taken seven years. My responsibility has been to support my colleagues. MUBS sponsors all of us. So how can I be envious of anyone? You cannot tarnish my image when you are an insider. It is nonsense.
So Kakuru is still your deputy?
Yes.
Have you given up the fight to make MUBS an autonomous institution?
MUBS should be part of Makerere in national interest. But how do we make that relationship work? The most important thing is the willingness to make it work.
MUBS is an important institution which contributes to the Makerere brand. Removing it would hurt both institutions. We wanted to be autonomous because we were neglected. I think to some people, we appeared to be moving too fast.
Will you contest for Makerere’s vice-chancellorship?
No, no. I am not interested in that.
What have been your achievements and trials during your 10-year tenure?
Establishing a new institution in 1997 was a challenge.
We started with a student population of 3,000 students. It has now grown to 15,000. This is an achievement. We did not have enough staff members, now there are many.
The major challenge is that we are limited by finances. We are also trying to create more space to accommodate the growing numbers.
How do you rate Uganda’s higher education sector?
It is good. Our students who go abroad on Masters programmes often excel. In terms of facilities, we are not excellent, but the standard is good and we can do better.
What do you think is the best solution?
There is need for more planning. The Government must fund infrastructure, pure sciences and maths. Pure arts must also not be ignored.
Otherwise they may die out, yet we are obliged to develop knowledge. We need more universities especially in the rural areas. We also need to encouage our universities to have branches in other countries.
BACKGROUND TO THE MUBS CONFLICT
SINCE its inception in 1997, Makerere University Business School has been in the news for controversial reasons.
In 2006, the school attempted to break away from its parent institution, Makerere University. It installed its own vice chancellor and advertised its own degree programmes. It was after Cabinet intervened that MUBS reversed its decision.
Recently, a new wave of clashes has been brewing between the principal, Wasswa Balunywa and his academic staff.
According to media reports, Balunywa, in October 2008 fired Dr. James Akampumuza (dean, faculty of commerce), Dr. Isaac Nkote (head of finance department and Dr. Eddy Kuroboza Tukamushaba (head of leisure and hospitality), without a valid reason.
The trio appealed to the deputy Inspector General of Government, Raphael Bakku who reportedly wrote to the chairman of the MUBS Council, Dr. Colin Sentongo, ordering that the dons be reinstated.
Bakku argues that Balunywa usurped powers of the Appointments Board.
Balunywa, however, insists that he acted within the law. Some reports also indicate that Balunywa was planning to sack his deputy, Dr. Julius Kakuru.
Before he was appointed principal, Balunywa was the dean of the faculty of commerce at Makerere University. He was largely credited for pioneering the private sponsorship scheme.
When he was appointed MUBS principal, his administration was at loggerheads with the main campus. At the height of the wrangles in 1999, Balunywa resigned the job, but was reinstated by President Yoweri Museveni.
Compiled by Carol Natukunda
Wasswa Balunywa, the principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) is in the spotlight for allegedly laying off some senior academic staff illegally.
He has also been accused of creating tribal conflicts at the Nakawa-based school. Carol Natukunda brings you his side of the story.
Why did you terminate your staff members’ contracts?
There was nothing illegal about it. Their contracts had expired and I am mandated by law to choose people to act in these positions. The deans and heads of departments are appointed by the Appointments Board on recommendation of the principal.
But three people whose contracts expired took offence when I did not recommend them for re-appointment. They lied to the Inspector General of Government (IGG) that they had been terminated illegally.
Why didn’t you renew their contracts?
We are a tertiary institution. The appointment is at my discretion. We have been giving people two-year contracts.
These people accused me of illegally removing them. But that is not true. I acted within the law. In the meantime, I requested three officials to act in their positions until the Appointments Board and Council act on the matter.
The IGG’s office ordered that they should be reinstated…
I have only seen most of these accusations in the press. Besides, these people told the IGG lies.
There seems to be some sort of in-fighting …
Whenever people have problems they try to find issues to accuse you of. I have heard that I am trying to chase away Banyankole and bring people from Busoga where I come from. I have also heard that I am appointing my girlfriends. I think this is trying to win sympathy from the public and it will not solve problems.
What exactly is going on?
Among the people who accuse me is the deputy principal (Kakuru). Then there are the accusations of the IGG, which I have only learnt about from the press.
The people making these accusations are part of management. So if there is mismanagement, it means they are part of it.
You mentioned something about an attempt to remove your deputy?
Appointment of the principal is the responsibility of the Government. We are a tertiary institution and a principal is appointed by the Education Service Commission.
We were invited to go for interviews for this position. But as far as I know, Kakuru did not appear for the interviews. My contract was renewed. So when people say I am attempting to remove him when I have worked with him for 10 years, it is unfortunate.
When will your contract expire?
After I sat for the interviews at the Education Service Commission, I was re-appointed as principal for the next five years; 2008 to 2013.
There are reports that you have failed to complete your PhD, which has not gone down well with you…
These are personal issues. I submitted my work, but I cannot tell when I will graduate. When you say I am envious, do you think Balunywa can want to get another name? Kakuru and I were at the University of Sterling in Scotland.
The conditions under which we were studying were difficult, because we were doing it part-time and at the same time doing our administrative work at MUBS. Kakuru completed his, but I am not envious of him.
I do not regret that mine has taken seven years. My responsibility has been to support my colleagues. MUBS sponsors all of us. So how can I be envious of anyone? You cannot tarnish my image when you are an insider. It is nonsense.
So Kakuru is still your deputy?
Yes.
Have you given up the fight to make MUBS an autonomous institution?
MUBS should be part of Makerere in national interest. But how do we make that relationship work? The most important thing is the willingness to make it work.
MUBS is an important institution which contributes to the Makerere brand. Removing it would hurt both institutions. We wanted to be autonomous because we were neglected. I think to some people, we appeared to be moving too fast.
Will you contest for Makerere’s vice-chancellorship?
No, no. I am not interested in that.
What have been your achievements and trials during your 10-year tenure?
Establishing a new institution in 1997 was a challenge.
We started with a student population of 3,000 students. It has now grown to 15,000. This is an achievement. We did not have enough staff members, now there are many.
The major challenge is that we are limited by finances. We are also trying to create more space to accommodate the growing numbers.
How do you rate Uganda’s higher education sector?
It is good. Our students who go abroad on Masters programmes often excel. In terms of facilities, we are not excellent, but the standard is good and we can do better.
What do you think is the best solution?
There is need for more planning. The Government must fund infrastructure, pure sciences and maths. Pure arts must also not be ignored.
Otherwise they may die out, yet we are obliged to develop knowledge. We need more universities especially in the rural areas. We also need to encouage our universities to have branches in other countries.
BACKGROUND TO THE MUBS CONFLICT
SINCE its inception in 1997, Makerere University Business School has been in the news for controversial reasons.
In 2006, the school attempted to break away from its parent institution, Makerere University. It installed its own vice chancellor and advertised its own degree programmes. It was after Cabinet intervened that MUBS reversed its decision.
Recently, a new wave of clashes has been brewing between the principal, Wasswa Balunywa and his academic staff.
According to media reports, Balunywa, in October 2008 fired Dr. James Akampumuza (dean, faculty of commerce), Dr. Isaac Nkote (head of finance department and Dr. Eddy Kuroboza Tukamushaba (head of leisure and hospitality), without a valid reason.
The trio appealed to the deputy Inspector General of Government, Raphael Bakku who reportedly wrote to the chairman of the MUBS Council, Dr. Colin Sentongo, ordering that the dons be reinstated.
Bakku argues that Balunywa usurped powers of the Appointments Board.
Balunywa, however, insists that he acted within the law. Some reports also indicate that Balunywa was planning to sack his deputy, Dr. Julius Kakuru.
Before he was appointed principal, Balunywa was the dean of the faculty of commerce at Makerere University. He was largely credited for pioneering the private sponsorship scheme.
When he was appointed MUBS principal, his administration was at loggerheads with the main campus. At the height of the wrangles in 1999, Balunywa resigned the job, but was reinstated by President Yoweri Museveni.
Compiled by Carol Natukunda