Makerere staff fights for house allocated to Peace centre

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Controversy has arisen among staff at Makerere University over a house that was assigned to the Peace Centre, under the Department of Religion and Peace Studies.

The house in question is currently occupied by Elias Nuwagaba, the former Personal Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe. Nuwagaba, who took possession of the house in his former position as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Finance and Administration, was last year dismissed by the University Appointments Board on allegations of extortion and bribery.

An order to reinstate him, however, was made by the University Staff Appeals Tribunal after the tribunal established he was unfairly dismissed.

But in a twist of events, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor- Finance and Administration, Professor William Bazeyo announced that the house, on 179 Kasubi View, on the western side of the university, which Nuwagaba has been occupying had been allocated to the peace centre.

The communicated was confirmed through a letter dated July 2, addressed to Dr Hellen Nambalirwa Nkabala, the programme Coordinator.

However, Nuwagaba objected to the allocation stating that the same house was allocated to him in 2017 and that the Tribunal had set aside the dismissal and halted his eviction from the residential premises until disciplinary proceedings against him have been heard and determined by the Appointments Board.

“We wish to remind you that the appointments Board has not heard and determined any disciplinary proceedings against our client as directed by the tribunal ever since the above decision was made on April 16 2019,” Lawyer Henry Rwaganika said in a letter to Professor Bazeyo.

Nuwagaba’s lawyers contend that the decision of the tribunal also binds Professor Bazeyo, as a University official.

“We again remind you that as a Public officer, the Tribunal’s decisions are quasi-judicial decisions guaranteed under articles 42 and 44 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and that impunity with which you have willfully trashed its decisions, orders and directives shall not go unpunished,” Nuwagaba’s lawyers say.

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