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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of the Makerere University staff led by Sarah Acan Otim have raised a red flag against the suspected corruption involving some members of the university council.
The alleged corruption involves Bruce Balaba Kabaasa, the Chairperson Finance, Planning and Investment Committee of Council (FPAIC), Associate Professor Sarah Ssali, the Dean of School of Women and Gender Studies and a Member of Council representing Senate and Yusuf Kiranda, the acting University Secretary/ secretary to the University Council.
In a petition dated December 16, 2019, the staffer has implored the chairperson of Council Lorna Magara, the Auditor General, Inspectorate of Government (IGG) and the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) demanding an investigation into alleged corruption, fraud and action taken.
The petitioner alleges that since 2014-2018, Makerere University has hijacked at council level regarding governance problems that continue to haunt the institution as highlighted in the 2016 Rwendeire report.
“There is hitherto multifaceted conflict of interest among some members of Council and Management. Particularly, Mr. Kabaasa Balaba Bruce, the chairperson FPAIC, who is supposed to oversee the financial health of Makerere University and Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, the acting University Secretary, the Accounting officer and Secretary to Council are both directors of a private Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) known as University Forum on Governance (UNIFOG),” says Acan in a petition.
She also highlights that the NGO operates at the university campus in two houses (offices) free of charge.
“The first office is located at Plot 56, Edge Road opposite the Vice Chancellor’s House; and the second office is located along Livingstone Drive; this house used to be the residence of the Dean of Students. UNIFOG doesn’t pay rent, electricity, water bills, internet nor slash the compound,” she argues.
It is alleged that through UNIFOG, the duo run a project called Gender Equality Project with Assoc. Prof. Sarah Ssali as its Principal Investigator and Dean School of Women and Gender Studies with funding from Democratic Governance Facility (DGF).
“This is also to report to you that sometime back this year [2019], Mr. Kabaasa Balaba Bruce, Ass. Prof. Sarah Ssali and the University Secretary authorized and withdrew money from the Gender Equality Project bank account [Stanbic: 9030014582192] using stolen cheque leaves from the project accountant who was on leave,” says Acan.
She adds that; “They withdrew huge sums of money and among other things purchased for themselves luxurious cars and falsified accountabilities for the project activities. When the accountant returned from leave, he complained about the missing cheque leaves. As a cover-up, Mr. Kabaasa Balaba Bruce –Associate Director of the project suspended him and opened a case against the very accountant at Wandegeya Police Station and forced him to go and give a statement.”
The petition further alleges that the project operates outside the university established policies and shielded from any form of scrutiny.
“The project account, agreement, books of accounts and its activities have never been audited by the Auditor General not by the Internal Audit as required by law. The project doesn’t remit 15% to cater for overheads as required by the University Financial Management Policy,” says Acan.
She contends that there is a clear case of conflict of interest, fraud and conspiracy to defraud the institution and development partners since the said directors of the project are members of council as well as signatories to the project accounts.
“We are aware that when Mr. Kabaasa suspected the whistleblowing, he withdrew from being a signatory to the project account. It is also a clear conflict of interest since the University Secretary Mr. Kiranda and the co-director Mr. Kabaasa earn salaries from the same project while their NGO is hosted at no cost,” Acan argues.
According to the petitioner, Kabaasa, while serving as the chairperson of the Makerere University Appointments Board, created an illegal position of the Deputy University Secretary to allegedly accommodate his long-time friend. Acan says the position did not exist at the time.
“Many staff were also clandestinely recruited using the same formula. The university is struggling with more than 150 staff who haven’t been paid since they got recruited last year. Makerere University Council should take-up these matters, investigate and take action. The DGF is hereby informed of this fraud,” she writes.
The document has been served and received by the DGF, IGG, Auditor General’s office, the NRM Electoral Commission office of the Chairman and the Commissioner for Higher Education and Training in the Ministry of Education and Sports on December 19, 2019.
When our reporter contacted Yusuf Kiranda for a comment, he acknowledged having seen this petition on social media. He told URN however that it was incorrect, as the said Organization operates under the School of Women and Gender Studies.
He added that it was the University itself which allied with different partners to put up the project in question. According to Kiranda, the School of Women and Gender Studies has been in operation for a number of years and that the offices the said NGO is operating from belongs to the school.
He denied claims of the whistle blower of the project operating without properly audited books of accounts citing everything is done openly.
“I don’t understand the objective of the so called whistle blower because there is nothing being done in hiding,” Kiranda told URN on phone.
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