The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Makerere University Appointments Board has dismissed Edward Kisuze, an officer in the Academic Registrar’s Department, who was recently convicted by court for indecent assault of a female student.
Kisuze’s troubles started in 2018 when he was arrested for sexually assaulting Rachael Njoroge in his office she had gone to certify her academic documents. His arrest followed a photo that circulated on social media showing the assistant registrar sexually assaulting Njoroge.
Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court found him guilty of sexual assault in October this year and directed him to pay a fine of Shillings 4 million or to serve two years in prison for molesting the student.
As a result, the University Appointments Board sat on Wednesday and decided to dismiss Kisuze. Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice-Chancellor, Makerere University, says the decision was based on the court decision and university policy of “zero tolerance” to sexual assault.
“Within the university structures, his sexual harassment case was still being processed. But, he had been dragged to court, which gave a ruling and once court rules against any member of staff on a criminal offense, he has to be dismissed. That is the regulation. But still, he had to go either way,” said Professor Nawangwe.
Sexual harassment remains a big challenge at Makerere University as more students now and then reveal a pattern of abuse. Female students have often complained of sexual harassment from their lecturers in favor of good grades.
A recent report on sexual harassment at the University established several factors perceived to be the major cause of the vice. These include among others abuse of power by those holding academic and administrative authority and the patriarchal culture which, stereotypes females as sexual objects.
Last year, the management suspended academic staff over sexual related allegations. In 2018, Dr Swizen Kyomuhendo, a former senior lecturer in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, was sacked when investigations proved he had sexually harassed one of his students.
Meanwhile, the university Appointments Board has also sanctioned the sacking of Dr. Charles Lwanga, an ethnomusicologist in the department of performing arts and film and Dr. Deborah Mudali, a lecturer in the department of computer science for absconding from duty.
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I am not surprised. Appeals for these types of criminal cases are difficult. Common cited case here is R. v. John McAughey, 2002 ONSC 2863, you can look it up online. The appeal was for a conviction of assault on a minor in Sprucedale, Ontario in 2000.