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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Makerere University Staff Appeals Tribunal has halted its operations for one week with the hope that the on-going students’ unrest is resolved.
In a message sent out to members of the tribunal on Tuesday evening by Leon Atuhaire, the tribunal Registrar indicated that the quasi-judicial organ that provides a forum for aggrieved members of staff to be heard will resume business on Wednesday next week.
“Given the current hostile environment at the campus, tomorrow’s tribunal business has been adjourned,” said Atuhaire.
According to tribunal cause list, October 30, had been earmarked for a ruling of a case in which former accountant in the Directorate of Finance at Makerere University Perez Arinaitwe challenged his dismissal by the University Appointments Board.
He was among the 45 staff who were dismissed in December last year for alleged insubordination and failure to perform the job assigned to him.
He protested the decision to dismiss him on grounds that his request for a two-week adjournment to appear with his lawyer was denied by the Appointments Board. He also protested the punishment imposed on him as harsh and excessive.
The tribunal was also expected to hold deliberations for the ruling in the case of Mushomi Vs Makerere concerning Dr John Mushomi Atwebembeire who is challenging a four-year suspension without pay for allegedly assaulting his colleague, Dr Allen Kabagenyi, both lecturers in the Department of Population Studies in the School of Statistics and Planning.
Isaac Ssemakadde, who represents the staff whose cases have been adjourned argues that the university should facilitate the tribunal to sit elsewhere outside the university, as the situation appears not to stabilize soon.
Since Tuesday last week, students at Makerere University have been protesting a policy that sanctioned a-five-year 15 per cent cumulative increment on tuition and functional fees on all courses.
The student protests attracted military and riot police to break into students’ halls of residence at night and beating them. As a result, several students have been hospitalized after they were allegedly brutalized by the military. Many others have been referred to the African Centre for Treatment Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV) in Kamwokya.
While President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has since denied knowledge of the army’s deployment at the university and henceforth ordered their withdrawal. But the first lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni said the students striking at Makerere were paid to demonstrate.
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