KAMPALA, UGANDA: A section of Kyambogo University academic staff have accused the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Elly Katunguka of irregularly appointing heads of departments and deans of faculties and schools.
In a letter signed by the representative of the academic staff at the University Council, Rev Dr. Grace Lubaale and in a dossier by other academic staff which Uganda Radio Network has seen, the academic staff accuse Katunguka of carrying out appointments contrary to the directives of the university council.
“From the inception of Kyambogo University in 2001, the university organized its first elections in 2012 during the reign of Prof. Isaiah Omolo. The next elections were held in June 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 in the reign of Prof. Katunguka. The contract of those elected in June 2016 ended in June 2020 and we should have elected others in June 2020,” a letter written by Lubaale reads in part.
It adds that because of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdowns, the elections wouldn’t take place in June 2020 a decision which was singly reached by Katunguka. The letter adds that this was surprising since the academic staff and the non-academic staff had been given a go-ahead by the University Secretary to elect their representatives at the University Council.
“KYUASA-Kyambogo University Academic Staff Association with 410 members gathered to elect their representatives to Council but departments and faculties with fewer numbers could not elect their leaders at that time because of Covid-19. What an irony,” Lubaale’s letter written to all academic staff reads in part.
Lubaale adds that he raised this matter with the University Council where the vice-chancellor said they couldn’t elect new leaders because they were still waiting for the approval of the restructuring of the university that had been approved by the Council in August 2020.
“In January 2021, the VC brought revised guidelines for the said elections to be approved by Council even when the staff had not raised this as a stumbling block to the elections. The same guidelines of 2019 could still work. Nonetheless, the guidelines were deliberated upon and approved on January 12, 2021. Council then resolved that the elections should take place by end of February 2021… For reasons best known to the VC, he disregarded the Council resolution and instead drew his own roadmap of conducting elections in May 2021…but this never happened,” the letter adds.
It is alleged that Katunguka went ahead and appointed the heads of department and deans of schools and faculties arguing that these were all new now, after the restructuring. The University and Other Tertiary Institutions Act allowed him to appoint people in an acting capacity.
In the dossier, lecturers accuse Katunguka of trying to put people in positions that will help him secure his reappointment when his current term runs out in June this year.
“According to the law, the Vice-Chancellor is only mandated to appoint a dean or director for an academic body being established for the first time. Prof. Katunguka’s appointment of all heads of department including for departments and faculties that existed prior to the restructuring does not only contravene the law but is in itself acting with engulfing impunity and blatant defiance to the governing Council’s resolution. Moreover, in some departments and faculties, academic staff in higher ranks such as senior lecturers and associate professors were left out, instead those in lower ranks were appointed,” the dossier says.
“Prof. Katunguka is doing this for personal reasons. His contract as Vice-chancellor will end in June 2022. Some of the current deans were instrumental in giving him marks during the recruitment process of 2017…Prof. Katunguka is rewarding the deans further and expects to bounce back as vice-chancellor,” the letter adds.
However, Prof Katunguka reiterated that indeed the law allows him to make interim appointments now that all departments and faculties are new after the restructuring. He said because the only organ that has the power to appoint people in the university is the Board of the appointment, he presented his appointments to them for ratification which they did with minor changes of extending from six months to one year the tenure of heads of department.
Katunguka said that those complaining should ready their CVs because there is a roadmap for elections in December this year when his appointments expire.
On the claim that he is putting people in positions in order to advantage himself when the University is getting a new vice-chancellor, Katunguka called it unfounded because senate; on which the deans sit has no role in his reappointment as vice-chancellor. He said as the incumbent, he doesn’t need to go through the normal process but rather his fate is determined by the University Council as laid down in the case of the former vice-chancellor Omolo Ndiege who dragged the university to court and won for failure to reappoint him.
When contacted, Lubaale said he stands with what is contained in his letter. “What I wrote has a chronology of dates and I have not changed anything. Prof is not telling the truth that there is a roadmap; there is no roadmap for elections. In any case, the council has made a decision and he is also making a decision, is that proper management? So I have not changed my mind on what I wrote,” Lubaale said.
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