Mak staff tribunal asks lecturers Mushomi, Kabagenyi to reconcile

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The chairperson of the Makerere Staff Appeals tribunal Justice John Patrick Tabaro has advised two lecturers in the school of statistics and planning to reconcile their differences.

The lecturers are Dr John Mushomi Atwebembeire and Dr Allen Kabagenyi, a demographer and a lecturer in the Population Studies Department, School of Statistics and Planning, Makerere University.

Dr John Mushomi Atwebembeire was suspended in December for four years without pay for allegedly assaulting Kabagenyi.

“During hearing of this appeal, it was resolved that efforts be made to reconcile the appellant, Dr John Mushomi with the complainant Dr Allen Kabagenyi. We have therefore mandated two of our tribunal members to explore the possibility of the tribunal,” Justice Patrick Tabaro, the tribunal chairperson said on Tuesday in presence of the parties.

Associate Prof. Ronald Kakungulu Mayambala, a senior lecturer at Makerere University’s School of Law, together with Edith Kusasira, a Human Resource Management expert from the Ministry of Public Service who is also a member of the tribunal have up to Tuesday next week to produce a report on the reconciliation process back to the tribunal.

The reconciliation process is expected to also involve Stephen Ojiambo Wandera the head of department of the university’s School of Statistics and Planning.

While representing Dr Mushomi before the staff appeals tribunal on Tuesday, Isaac Ssemakadde of the Centre for Legal Aid said they welcomed the tribunal guidance and that his client was willing to cooperate during the mediation process.

The parties are expected to return on Tuesday next week to receive the outcomes of the reconciliation process.

Ssemakadde says if the process is successful, and satisfies both parties, they expect to report the terms of agreement.

Ssemakadde previously told the tribunal that the then-appointments board chairperson, Bruce Kabaasa, whose term ended on December 19 last year, was inconsiderate and unfair to many employees.

He had also highlighted to the tribunal that fake minutes had been smuggled as part of prosecution evidence.

In March, hearing of the Makerere University Staff Appeals Tribunal flopped for the second time due to the failure by the university to table minutes relating to the mass staff sacking in December last year.

Mushomi asked the University Staff Appeals Tribunal to quash his four-year suspension without pay citing he was unfairly suspended and that the suspension of four years without pay was harsh, excessive and in contravention of employment laws.

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