Makerere's Prof. Barya in trouble over sh17b

By Francis Kagolo

Police have deployed three senior detectives to interrogate Makerere University vice-chancellor, Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba over allegations that he mismanaged a Dutch-funded project worth Euro5.7m (about sh17b).

Assistant inspectors (AIP) Idro Obulejo, Charles Oroma and inspector (IP) George Komurubuga are to interrogate Baryamureeba over ‘alleged abuse of office, causing financial loss and embezzlement’, according to a letter from Grace Akullo, the director of criminal investigations (CID).

The interrogation is scheduled to take place on April 10 from Baryamureeba's office at Makerere. 

Makerere's former Faculty of Computing (CIT) hosted the four-year Nuffic project to help academic staff from the five public universities strengthen ICT training and research capacity. 

Nuffic is the Netherlands organization for international cooperation in higher education. Prof. Baryamureeba, in his former capacity as dean CIT, coordinated the project that closed on May 30, 2011.

However, according to Akullo's letter, 'it is alleged that the funds were diverted from the project's original purposes into other things.'

It is also alleged that Baryamureeba influenced the award of a tender to supply four smart white boards and a number of other items for the project to his own company, ICT Consults Ltd.  

It is further alleged that Baryamureeba, being the overall project coordinator charged with the management of the funds, provided false accountability to Nuffic.

"You [Baryamureeba] alleged that the funds were used to pay tuition fees for 20 PhD students yet the same students were alleged to have also benefited from the Makerere University fees waiver," Akullo wrote in the letter requesting the VC to be interviewed and record a statement on the allegations.             

The letter was dated April 3, and was received by the university VC's office on the same date.

Suspected mismanagement of the project arose after revelations that a March 4, 2008 CIT Appointments and Promotions Committee meeting chaired by Prof. Baryamureeba as the faculty dean, waived tuition for the 20 beneficiaries yet Nuffic had disbursed Euro160, 000 (sh480m) for the same purpose.

The Dutch Embassy in Kampala also said in January that it had already raised the issue with its Foreign Affairs Ministry which also alerted Nuffic officials to start investigations.

"As the embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands strongly values accountability and transparency, we have followed up on these allegations," local media quoted Melle Leenstra, the Political and Public Affairs officer, as saying in January.

He added: "We understand that Nuffic is investigating the issue. We expect that the applicable Ugandan authorities will duly investigate this matter."

Akullo yesterday confirmed writing to Baryamureeba to fix for an interview. "We have also communicated to the Netherlands embassy in Kampala who referred us to contact Nuffic officials in Hague," Akullo told New Vision.

"We want to know more from them regarding the amount of money they sent for the project and other information."

Since the issue came up, Akullo said a number of other people have been interviewed, and the case will be ready for perusal by the directorate of public prosecutions (DPP) after getting response from Baryamureeba and Nuffic.

Efforts to get a comment from Baryamureeba on Wednesday were futile as he was reportedly out of the country and never replied New Vision's queries via text message.

However, in an earlier media report, he denied any wrongdoing, saying both internal and external auditors had evaluated the project expenses without raising any accountability queries.