Mak demands dismissed staff to refund UGX 85M

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dismissed Makerere University accountant Perez Arinaitwe is required to refund 85 million shillings for allegedly absconding from duty.

Augustine Tamale, the former University Bursar and Arinaitwe’s former supervisor testified that Arinaitwe was always reporting late for work and should pay back the salary he was paid.

“To me, there is no reason why he was drawing a salary without working,” Tamale told the Makerere Appointments Board.

Arinaitwe was among the 45 staff who were sacked in December last year. He was dismissed for alleged insubordination and refusal to perform official duties.

Arinaitwe joined the university service on October 20, 1994, as the Executive officer on temporary terms. He was later confirmed into university service in April 1997.

On February 1, 2000, the university bursar then, wrote to Arinaitwe reminding him how he had talked to him on several occasions over his lack of commitment to work and responsibility.

On October 27, 2015, Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, the Director Makerere Institute of Social Research –MSR, where Arinaitwe was attached, informed the acting bursar that Arinaitwe had refused to hand over the office of accountant.

In December 2017, Tamale informed him of his failure to perform duties in the central store where he had been transferred, falsifying attendance in the Register book, being inconsistent on duty and not performing his roles.

Tamale then wrote and requested the acting Director Human Resources to take disciplinary action against him.

University lawyers Joan Nakaliika, Prossy Katongole, Naome Kiconco Ochieng and Esther Kabinga noted that despite serving Arinaitwe to appear before the Board, he skipped the disciplinary session citing that his lawyer was out of Kampala for two weeks.

The lawyers asked to proceed with prosecution against him even in his absence and or without any representation.

Asked to explain to the Board as his overall supervisor, Tamale said every time he needed Arinaitwe to assign him work to the central stores, he was always absent.

“I had a habit, I would sign in the attendance book at 8:00 am, I would come back to see who came later. He would come in to show he was around by 8:00 am. This would be towards 11:00 am or thereafter,” Tamale said.

University lawyers disclosed that the evidence adduced by Tamale was overwhelming.

“We pray that Perez Arinaitwe be dismissed from the University service,” university lawyers.

George Omunyokol, the Staff Appeals Tribunal chairperson had previously ordered the University to produce the minutes of the appointments board sacking Arinaitwe after the institution’s human resources directorate failed to disclose them.

Arinaitwe challenged the university decision to dismiss him from university service arguing that he was never allowed to defend himself, even when he sought an extension of two weeks to allow him prepare and file his defence, it was rejected.

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URN