The Makerere University Joint Staff Associations have called on Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe to reverse his suspension of the Deans' Forum and address his tendency to suspend activities unilaterally. This suspension, enacted last week by Prof. Nawangwe, was based on complaints about the forum's legality. However, the staff associations argue in a strongly-worded letter dated June 4 that the Vice Chancellor should have investigated these claims before taking action.
"We demand that you rescind your impugned suspension of the Deans' Forum," the letter states, urging Nawangwe to avoid actions that infringe on the human rights and academic freedoms of the university community.
The Makerere University Academic Staff Association (Muasa), the Makerere University Administrative Staff Association (Masa), and the National Union of Education Institutions (NUEI) collectively warned that failure to reverse the suspension would lead them to seek intervention from human rights organizations. Dr. Jude Ssempebwa, Muasa's general secretary, highlighted the potential for lobbying sanctions against Nawangwe for human rights abuses, reflecting recent international actions against Ugandan politicians over corruption.
In their letter, signed by Dr. Robert Kakuru of Muasa, Bennet Magara of Masa, and Isaac Okello of NUEI, the staff associations criticized the Vice Chancellor’s high-handedness, citing previous suspensions that were overturned by the Appointments Board, Staff Tribunal, and High Court. They also mentioned an investigation into the School of Law over an examination satirical essay about Parliament, expressing concerns about potential violations of human rights and academic freedom.
The staff associations emphasized that academic staff are accountable and expect scrutiny, but they are also entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence. They argued that the suspension of the Deans' Forum should have been preceded by an investigation rather than being based on unspecified complaints.
The Deans' Forum, established by Nawangwe in 2019, was designed to promote academic excellence through collective action and capacity building among deans and principals. The suspension came just before a planned training retreat for forum members on June 6-7. The staff associations highlighted the forum's contributions to the university’s vision and its protection under Article 29 of the Ugandan Constitution.
In response to the suspension, the associations stressed the importance of freedom of association and conscience for staff and students. They warned that actions like the suspension of the Deans' Forum, along with the investigation into the School of Law, undermine this assurance and could lead to self-censorship, negatively impacting productivity.
Nawangwe defended his decision, stating that the forum had outlived its usefulness.
"The Dean’s Forum is an internal matter," he told media. "It is not in the law. It was launched by me and its usefulness has expired."
Dr. Arthur Tugume, Dean of the School of Biosciences, found the suspension surprising given the forum’s objectives and origins in workshops organized by former Deputy VC for Academic Affairs, Dr. Umar Kakumba.
