Nyanzi asks court to reject Mak testimony

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dr Stella Nyanzi has asked court to reject the testimony of Makerere University Director for Human Resource, Andrew Abunyang defending failure to reinstate her.

Nyanzi was suspended from Makerere Institute for Social Research in 2016 after a series of social media outbursts attacking the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni.

However, appearing before Justice Lydia Mugambe of High Court Civil Division, Nyanzi through her lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde told court to reject the affidavit of Abunyang which the University is using to challenge its failure to pay Nyanzi all her emoluments arising from the illegal suspension.

Ssemakadde told court that when Abunyang appeared in court to be cross-examined over his testimony in March 2019 he disowned it having knowledge of the affidavit that was brought to him.

Abunyang said that he just signed the document not knowing what was inside because it was brought to him for signing by someone from the Legal Department of Makerere University and it had many errors including dates of signing.

The affidavits ask court to dismiss the application citing that Makerere University paid Nyanzi even when she was still on suspension.

His affidavit is supported by a cheque voucher dated December, 15th, 2017 indicating that more than 20 million shillings were paid to Nyanzi.

The University through their lawyer Hudson Musoke has also asked court to maintain the suspension of Dr Nyanzi’s arguing that her appointment expired.

Nyanzi was appointed as a Research Fellow at MISR on June, 6th, 2011.  Her contract reportedly expired five years later on May 30th, 2016.

She now wants to be compensated over 700 million shillings for general damages.

Dr Nyanzi dragged Makerere University to the Civil Division of High Court in November 2018 accusing Makerere University for failing to implement the orders of Makerere University Staff Appeals Tribunal which held that her suspension was illegal and thus ordered for her reinstatement and payment of all her two-year emoluments.

This followed the October, 2nd, 2018, orders made by the Staff Appeals Tribunal led by George Omunyokol saying that Nyanzi should be given all her emoluments within 30 days from the date of judgment which hasn’t been done.

In December 2018, Nyanzi was officially laid off from her job at Makerere University together with 46 other Academic Staff following a number of issues including expiration of contracts and being irregular at work.

Justice Lydia Mugambe has since advised them to revise their laws and making proposals for law reforms.

Mugambe will give her Judgment on the application on October, 16th 2019.

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