Kampala, Uganda: The Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Racheal Nakyazze Friday granted bail to former Makerere University Business School (MUBS) principal, Prof Waswa Balunywa, after spending three nights on remand at Luzira Prison in relation to two corruption-related cases.
Balunywa, 69, secured temporary freedom at Shs 5 million cash for the first case, which involves allegations of appointing unqualified staff, and Shs 10 million cash for the second, related to the alleged illegal mass recruitment at MUBS. Each surety was bonded at Shs 50 million non-cash in the first case and Shs 100 million non-cash in the second.
Magistrate Nakyazze also ordered that Prof Balunywa’s passport remain in court custody, with a land title in his name retained as additional security.
“Bail is a constitutional right, and the discretion lies with the judicial officer. The sureties presented are substantial and capable of ensuring the applicant’s attendance,” Magistrate Nakyazze said.
Earlier, state prosecutors had opposed the release, arguing that the sureties were too young to guarantee Prof Balunywa’s compliance and that the existence of two active case files warranted continued remand.
But Magistrate Nakyazze dismissed these concerns, noting the strong relationship between the accused and his sureties and reaffirming the presumption of innocence.
According to charge sheets filed by the outgoing Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo, Prof Balunywa allegedly overstepped his authority as principal between 2020 and 2023 by appointing 103 academic staff, 17 administrative staff, and 69 support staff without following proper institutional procedures.
In a related case, he is accused of recruiting three administrative assistants, James Arike, Nathan Nuwagira, and Nimrod Kakayi, despite their lack of requisite qualifications, which allegedly imposed an undue financial burden on the government.
Prof Balunywa faces the charges alongside Jacqueline Namaganda, the former Acting Human Resource Director at MUBS, who faces three counts of neglect of duty for failing to vet the eligibility of the same recruits. Both have pleaded not guilty.
The celebrated academic scholar retired in May 2023, ending a 26-year tenure at MUBS. His leadership had been controversial since 2018, when Education Minister Janet Museveni directed the Education Service Commission to find his replacement, a directive later reversed by President Museveni, citing his “liberation ideology” and administrative track record.
The court scheduled October 15 for mention and pre-trial proceedings in both cases.
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