Another Mak staff suspended for leaking documents

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Makerere University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe has suspended another staff for leaking documents to social media.

Isaac Anyaku, a Custodian at the University College of Business and Management Sciences –COBAMS was suspended last month, Uganda Radio Network has learnt.

Sources privy to the vice chancellor’s office say that Anyaku was suspended after he failed to submit a written explanation regarding the alleged misconduct. He had been asked by the vice-chancellor to do so by Friday, July 19, 2019.

Professor Nawangwe alleges that Anyaku was involved in acts related to criminal trespass into an office not assigned to him.

“It is further alleged that you were involved in unauthorized disclosure of information that ordinarily was not under your custody. Subsequently, university staff started receiving threats as a result of the illegally accessed information by yourself,” professor Nawangwe states in a suspension letter to Anyaku.

According to the Vice-chancellor, Anyaku is also suspected to have stolen a fuel card, which resulted into loss of fuel and project resources at the school of public health.

A report from the Makerere University Police Post, according to Prof. Nawangwe indicates that on July 3rd 2019, Anyaku was cited illegally accessing the office of the Chief Security officer in his absence where he allegedly accessed confidential documents that he later photographed and disseminated on social media.

“You published and shared through social media all photographed documents accessed illegally from an office that is not yours. As you well know, this contravenes Makerere University Human Resources Manual 2009 as amended, the Makerere University Communication Policy, as well as the Public Service Standing Orders,” Nawangwe, writes to Anyaku.

Before adding that; “Therefore, in order to protect the reputation of the university, its personnel and property, I hereby suspend you from the university in accordance with section 5.9b of the Makerere human resources manual”

Professor Nawangwe says a committee will be instituted to investigate the matter as he is home and on half-pay.

It is not clear the kind of documents alleged to have been leaked by the said staff.

Sources at the university, however, speculate that there could be malice against the said worker, especially having refused to testify against Dr Deus Kamunyu during his trial at the Appointments Board, when the former was a security officer attached to the Main Building at the time Kamunyu and colleagues allegedly invaded the council meeting.

*****

URN