Court verdict due on Balunywa MUBS leadership

By Andante Okanya

Court will soon deliver its verdict in the case where the Principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Prof. Wasswa Balunywa is accused of illegal occupation of office.

On Monday, Justice Benjamin Kabiito of the civil division of the High Court in Kampala,was prompted to give his roadmap of the verdict after Balunywa skipped court.

The MUBS principal had been scheduled to appear in court to be cross-examined by the lawyers of the applicant Dr James Akampumuza.

Kabiito premised his roadmap on the decision by the lawyers Geoffrey Kandeebe and Simon Tendo Kabenge, who informed court that since Balunywa had skipped court several times, they deemed it fit to abandon cross-examination.

“In view that this matter has taken long, yet it should have been a short cause. In order to shorten this matter, we are abandoning the cross-examination of all deponents who have not been cross-examined,” Kandeebe said.

He asked the judge to set a judgement date, noting that Akampumuza’s legal team had already filed written submissions, whose receipt date is recorded as March 13, 2014.

Prior, Balunywa’s lawyer Charles Nsubuga, explained his absence, saying he was in the United Kingdom attending a conference, and expected back home today.

However, in his directive, the judge gave the respondents upto October 12, to file their reply, and a rejoinder if any to be filed by the applicant after a week.

Kabiito said ruling would be on notice. Apart from the Education Service Commission which was represented by Ivan Twabaje and MUBS by Mark Mugasha, the Attorney General had no representative.

Case contention

Akampumuza alleges that Prof Balunywa irregularly used an official letterhead of the office of the principal on a non-working day (Sunday) to write an application for renewal of his contract.

Akampulira purports that Balunywa’s contract renewal was irregular since the job was not advertised. He also asserts that there is no legal provision for the contract renewal.

In 1997, President Yoweri Museveni appointed Balunywa principal for a period of four years under the Makerere University Establishment of constituent college order. Upon expiry of the contract in May 2003, and later later in May 2013 by the university council.

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