Mountains of the Moon lecturers demand answers on delayed gov’t takeover

Fort Portal, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Lecturers at Mountains of the Moon University are demanding answers about the delayed takeover of the university by the government.

Last year in December, the Cabinet approved the takeover of Mountains of the Moon University as a public university to enable it to provide quality teaching and learning that is relevant and competitive.

The State Minister for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo noted that the task force appointed to effect the transition concluded its work paving way for a government takeover. The committee was chaired by Dr Pius Coxwell Achanga who is also the Head of Institutional and Programme Accreditation – IPA at National Council for Higher Education-NCHE and Dr Edmond Kagambe. Other members were Grace Kazooba Nyakahuma and Prof John Kasenene, the Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Muyingo also said that the university had already been budgeted for in the 2021/2022 financial year.

However, the lecturers have vowed not to conduct online teaching until they are briefed about the progress of the takeover.

At the beginning of this month, the lecturers petitioned the Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Kasenene demanding an explanation about the delayed takeover by the government. However, there was no explanation from the University management.

Professor Moses Muhumuza, the leader of the lecturers says that the university is facing a huge challenge to pay staff salaries and improve infrastructure. According to Muhumuza, lecturers have not been paid for six months.

According to Muhumuza, if the government had taken over the university, it would have enhanced the salaries of staff and the number of students will have increased.

“We have been promised more than long enough, we don’t see progress on this matter. We shall stick to our joint resolution of abandoning lessons until we are told about the progress,” Muhumuza said.

When contacted, Kasenene refused to comment on the matter. But a source who preferred anonymity says that the task force is yet to come up with a name and coordinate the restructuring of the administrative and academic units to meet the National Development Plan. The source further said that they are hopeful that the task force will complete the assignment before the end of the year.

The source also said that the institution agreed to halt payment of its staff since the key source of revenue are students still in the lockdown.

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