Last week, we at Mulengera News published story about things that have gone wrong at Prof Venansius Baryamureeba’s UTAMU University since its inception in late 2012. The story, based on anonymous sources, reflected on a multiplicity of things which Prof Baryamureeba has since responded to in a bid to clarify and set the record straight. See related reporting https://mulengeranews.com/st-augustine-university-chaos-escalate-as-murenga-fires-prof-barya-who-in-turn-fires-kayanja-as-chairman-utamu-council/. Below is the verbatim of Baryamureeba’s rebuttal;
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba,
Chairman Board of Directors, UTAMU
On 6th of September 2012, I handed over the Office of Vice Chancellor to Prof. Ddumba Ssentamu as the next Vice Chancellor of Makerere University and the next day, 7th September 2012, we unveiled UTAMU to the public. On that day, as founder and founding Vice Chancellor, I did state that UTAMU was going to be the MIT of Africa. So, just like Apple transformed over time to become the first company to have a net worth of US$1 trillion, UTAMU will slowly but surely transform into the MIT of Africa. I will return to this on another day, but today I want to briefly respond to an article that has been drawn to mention titled-’’ST. Augustine University Chaos escalate as Mulenga fires Pro. Barya who in turn fires Prof. Prof. Kayanja as Chairman’’, by a senior citizen who also requested me to provide a response. This article was published by an online newspaper this week and has been circulating on social media too.
First and foremost, the title of the article is diversionary and I think the author’s intention was to divert the readers from his identity. This reminds me of two important quotes:
(a) British Writer and Politician, Thomas Macaulay (1800-1859), said: “The measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out.”
(b) Peter Schutz, the former Chief Executive Officer of Porsche said: “Hire Character; Train Skills.”
On 20th December 2019, the shareholders of UTAMU at a general meeting exercised their right enshrined in both the Companies Act 2012 and articles of association of UTAMU and voted by poll for the current Board of Directors of UTAMU for which I am Chairman. Shareholders who were then in University Management headed by then Prof. Benon C Basheka (Former Vice Chancellor UTAMU) petitioned the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and URSB in its ruling dated 7th May 2019 dismissed the petition and re-confirmed the Board of Directors. Not satisfied by the ruling of URSB, Prof. Basheka in his capacity as Vice Chancellor of UTAMU petitioned National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to intervene. The NCHE set up an independent committee that came up with UTAMU mediation agreed that was signed on 3rd July 2019 by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors on behalf of the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of Council UTAMU Council on behalf of Council and the Vice Chancellor on behalf of UTAMU Management and this agreement was witnessed by the Executive Director NCHE.
UTAMU mediation agreement among others provided for: The Board of Directors shall appoint 80% of the University Council; A member of the Board of Directors or shareholder of UTAMU shall not be a member of the University Council or University Management; and a member of the Board of Directors or shareholder may be employed at the University like any private person with no privileges of being a shareholder or Board member and shall submit to the full authority of the University Council. At an Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 9th August 2019 and attended by representatives of URSB and NCHE, it was resolved that the University Council be dissolved with immediate effect since the majority of the members were shareholders. So, the University Council was dissolved by the AGM and Prof. Kayanja happened to be the Chairperson of Council then. Prof. Kayanja was not fired as alleged but happened to be a member of the council that was dissolved.
A new UTAMU Council was put in place in accordance with the mediation agreement and statutes of UTAMU and Dr. Annet Nabatanzi Muyimba was appointed Chairperson. Dr. Nabatanzi serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Management and Public Policy at MUBS and all the other members are distinguished individuals in their own right. The UTAMU AGM of 9th August 2019 also resolved that the contract of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Basheka be terminated before 31st August 2019 and Council did terminate his contract on 30th August 2019 with one-month payment in lieu of notice. The AGM also resolved that the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jude Lubega’s contract be terminated with notice before 8th January 2020 and for the rest of the shareholders in management their contracts be terminated before 9th August 2020. By 31st December 2019, the exercise of ensuring that there was no shareholder in UTAMU management had been completed by the University Council. With exception of Prof. Lubega, all the other members of management whose contracts were terminated where still working fulltime at Makerere University. So, it is not true to allege that they left UTAMU and went back to Makerere University.
UTAMU is an equal opportunity employer. So, in October 2019, UTAMU Council advertised in New Vision and the East African Newspaper among others for the positions of Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor. A Search Committee chaired by the eminent Prof. Elly N Sabiiti received applications from applicants from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia among others. The search committee assessed the shortlisted candidates and Prof. Yusuf Sadiq emerged as the best candidate and was recommended to council with other two candidates and Council upheld the recommendation of the search committee and he was appointed Vice Chancellor of UTAMU with effect from 6th November 2019. At the time of application for the position of Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sadiq was working fulltime on a project to set up a private tertiary institution for a Kampala based private hospital. As much as UTAMU is an equal opportunity employer and recruits even employees working with other organisation, it is not true that he was snatched from St. Augustine International University as the article alleges. Also, on 15th May 2018, I personally resigned from the position of Chairperson of Council of St. Augustine International University due to my heavy consultancy engagements outside the country and I was not fired as alleged in the article.
I also served my two statutory terms as Chairperson of Uganda Business and Technical Examinations (UBEB) and handed over to Dr. Silver Mugisha, the Managing Director of NWSC. So, what is being alleged in the article about UBTEB is not true. Also, as regards, Makerere University Business School (MUBS) and my chairpersonship this information is in the public domain and so I don’t want to repeat it in this article.
In the article its alleged that Mr. Baker Sssekitto also had left UTAMU. It is true that the University Council in October 2019 refused to renew the contract of Mr. Ssekitto but allowed him to serve up to the end of the year, i.e. 31st December 2019. As a result of the departure of Mr. Ssekitto, UTAMU recruited a Director of Finance and Administration, Ms. Assumpta Mary Nabachwa Muweera, a professional accountant and HR professional with an excellent managerial record spanning many years. Furthermore, School Registrar is an entry position at UTAMU and I will not comment on a Registrar that recently left UTAMU for another and was replaced by an equally competent person. Let me state that even the other shareholders who left management were replaced by equally competent academics. For instance, Prof. Jude Lubega was succeeded by Professor Johnnie Wycliffe Frank Muwanga-Zake as Deputy Vice Chancellor of UTAMU. Prof. Zake is a well-schooled international scholar with a working career spanning several countries including UK, Australia and South Africa. UTAMU continues to be an employer of choice.
It is falsely alleged in the article that I begged Prof. Basheka to leave Uganda Management Institute (UMI) and join UTAMU. Prof. Basheka sent me an email application in 2013 requesting to be appointed a Professor at UTAMU. I did not know him before then. So, we did process his application and gave him an offer without doing a background check. We later learnt that at the time of his application to UTAMU, he had already been dismissed by UMI.
Lastly, as a matter of fact, I founded UTAMU and invited my colleagues mainly at Makerere University to join me. I am a (simple) majority shareholder in UTAMU and there is no way I can ever do anything that is not in the best interest of UTAMU. So, what is alleged that Prof. Baryamureeba was whistleblower for NCHE etc. is total nonsense.
It is often said that what would ultimately destroy a man going to high places in life is not really the enemies that are waiting for him there, but the character that followed him there. Good luck to the author of the false and malicious article.
BELOW ARE THE FACEBOOK REACTIONS;
Hines Agaba Fights in a young institution of this nature and high attrition rate of dons affects enrollment. Professor, kindly ensure stability of staff to make the university attractive and competitive
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. Hines Agaba There is stability at UTAMU. We have excellent staff. Thanks
Hines Agaba Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. .. .This is wonderful
Mbabazi Fred Do you offer masters in Edn Administration & Mgt weekends?
Pdb Blick I don’t have interest in UTAMU but you prof so finding words like nonsense in your well articulated articles is a shame
Pdb Blick Thanks for your message
Shariff Hussein Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. Prof. We’re tired of people looking for loopholes in every good thing. No one is perfect you’re also human like them.
Most Relevant is selected, so some replies may have been filtered out.
Peter Gai Manyuon Dear Professor,
Thank you for this brilliant response. However, kindly try to edit your article again since currently, we are still in April 2020, not October 2020. Within the middle paragraph and I quoted” UTAMU is an equal opportunity employer. So, in October 2020, UTAMU council advertised in the new vision and East African Newspaper among others for the positions of Vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellor”. I believe you were referring to October 2019 not October 2020 since we are still in April 2020? Do you have different calender from the world?
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. Peter Gai Manyuon Greetings Peter. Noted with thanks.
Peter Gai Manyuon Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, Ph.D. Thank you so much, Professor. God bless you, sir!
Takahikire Peter Alot of information in grapevine that was not working in favour of UTAMU . You are setting a record to judge what is being said.We are together in building a strong foundation for HE in Uganda and those who are Self seekers will be judged by their actions and schemes.Wish UTAMU well
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. UTAMU with over 1200 students operates a non deficit budget. Its able to pay its staff, purchase all necessary learning, teaching and research facilities, take care of issues like rent and also save money for investment. For instance, UTAMU is going to commence the construction of its campus in Matura- codenamed UTAMU Research and Innovation City in June 2020. Even by 2023, UTAMU will have acquired its own premises in Kampala its Centre for its Kampala Campus. As UTAMU grows, its cheaper to use rented premises in Kampala as we develop one of our permanent campuses in Matugga, Wakiso District.
Lameck Ombati Reading from Nairobi, thanks my VC AR MUK
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. Lameck Ombati You are welcome
Namanya Ronald Nyenkyakale Thank you for your clarification Prof. Infact I was wondering if am safe with my University by Murenga news!!!! Kudos my lecturers at UTAMU.
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. Namanya Ronald Nyenkyakale You are welcome
Raymond Babyesiza RB thank you prof. on that clarification i wish all the best for UTAMU as it works to be the MIT of africa. Iam a product of UTAMU class of 2017. I really liked mr. Baker Ssekito on how he used to handle us in terms of fees payment when in difficulty times. i salute you.
Levi M. Ofwono You generated the idea(UTAMU), brought it to birth and worked hard to give it the gold, then boom ungrateful character probably with selfish interests try to fume the air, No UTAMU is past failure curves coz you clearly stated it out in this article which is what is enough to silence the authors of fake info….All the best coz those are challenges of UTAMU being a success.
Ndugu Byamugisha Prof, i hope the love for ladies will not bring the University down.
Mukonyezi Isaaka Isaac Thank you Prof for this. God bless you. God bless UTAMU.
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. Mukonyezi Isaaka Isaac God bless you too.
Saxes Kamuhanda Thanks prof for this clarification
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. Saxes Kamuhanda You are welcome
Saxes Kamuhanda Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. It is definitely my pleasure to read articles from you and read more about you. You really do inspire me
Daniel Kop Omusisa Ogwikiirize Wow, well elaborated and outright. you will always be my mentor.
Brian Akatwijuka Prof.Barya. I happen to have read both Mulengera Media article and this article (your response) about Utamu, when I apply emotional intelligence in both of your Articles, the main problem is money. UTAMU seems doesn’t pay its workers promptly as agreed and that’s how many shareholders came in Utamu just because of uncleared salaries for its staff. These Professors who have been in Mgt and as board of Directors when they are Shareholders came after you founding member (Barya) convincing them that the salaries they demand from UTAMU are going to be turned or changed into their shares in Utamu. Something they accepted. Now afterwards, you changed goal posts and started sacking them. Please, Pay your workers promptly if you want success in your businesses. I have always advocated that you become VC of Makerere University. But now how will be the VC of MUK if your own university has unending wrangles? I’m reliably informed that you now have trust in the new University Council headed by Nabatanzi, kindly make sure you pay all the creditors to the University (UTAMU). Remember, you once stood as Presidential Candidate of the Republic of Uganda. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who won you must be laughing at you when he gets to know all this mess in Utamu. I repeat, make all things right at UTAMU.
Moses Moya Ngati Brian Akatwijuka Brian, hope you aren’t one of the employees or unpaid supplier looking to discredit UTAMU online. If it’s true UTAMU owes staff and others monies, am sure there should be ways of resolving this. But like any younger institution, I know creating a smooth cashflow takes time and needs the numbers in class to overcome the high costs of rent, salaries and other administrative costs. Professor’s response, unless disproved, carries water and has helped some of us not in the know understand what’s going on there. For your info, GoU, owes contractors and suppliers billions of shillings, which if they released, the economy would normalise. Infact, each time I hear of a supplementary budget in Parliament, I worry more for those who do business with GoU.
Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, PhD. Moses Moya Ngati Thank you for your response. UTAMU takes its human resources seriously. It always pays its employees before 30th day of every month even in this $COVID-19 period.
Egya Ackah Blay Miezah I trust you. Yes! Africa and the African can do it. Thanks
Ssekavuga Joethug Bbaale You need an editor
Ayorekire Wilbroad Katsigazi LET US FIGHT COVID19 together
Solomon Yiga Seems Uganda we have so many educated fellows,
Samuel White The all issue was to address conflict of interest…. To ensure separation of roles,
Stephen Okumu Keep it up prof.
Godwin Bonge Muhwezi Thanks for shedding more light. “Then you will know the truth, and it will set you free”
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