By Joachim Twino
Its official Prof Venescias Baryamureeba is no longer the Chairman Mubs governing council-and that will be the situation at least for the next 90 days (basically three months). As was recently exclusively reported by this news website (see Mubs Council Moves to Resolve Professors Barya, Balunywa Feud posted on 6th June 2018), President Museveni’s insistence to keep his man Prof Wasswa Balunywa at Mubs as Principal gave many council members the impression that Baryamureeba had to leave for stability. Our story indicated that council members had requisitioned for a council session during which Baryamureeba would be condemned and required to apologize for the intrigue that played out and gave Mubs bad publicity prompting the president to intervene. Indeed yesterday Tuesday, the meeting took place.
WHAT HAPPENED?
As can be expected, the meeting turned out stormy and tempers flared as Baryamureeba openly cried out wondering why members were ganging up on him as chairman. The meeting started at 9am and went on up 2pm. Mubs council meetings are usually short and members described this as the longest session in a very long time. At the start of the meeting, the much-isolated Baryamureeba put up a spirited fight but (according to one member) “his arrogance gradually died down after seeing the extent to which council members like Beatrice Anywar, Councilor Mugisha Okwera, Bright Rwamirama and Prof Micheal Kansiime were determined to cut him to side.” Reliable sources say, the Professor from Ibanda even apologized at some point “but this came too late because the gloves were already off for many members.” He was largely accused of being a destabilizing force and one who clearly couldn’t work with newly re-appointed Balunywa anymore. The trumpeting students, who kept denouncing him with placards outside the meeting hall, only made things worse for him. The Guild President, who had mobilized fellow students to come and show solidarity to their Principal, too wasn’t on Baryamureeba’s side. Led by Anywar and Okwera, both militant FDC members at some point, the council members insisted Baryamureeba must give way because it would procedurally be improper for him to be a judge (chairing Council meeting) in his own case. At first he resisted this saying he wasn’t against Balunywa at all referring to the letter he wrote recommending him for reappointment. Okwera shot up saying he had evidence Baryamureeba was giving Balunywa “with one hand and taking away with another.” He argued that whereas Barya pretended to be supportive of Balunywa’s retention, he was clandestinely working against him. Baryamureeba was then accused of writing controversial letters on behalf of Council without first consulting council members. “We were having council meetings during that period but why were you keeping us in the dark? You never brought these matters up for discussion and it’s for those underhand methods that we want you to be punished,” Anywar furiously told off Baryamureeba whose claim that it was still possible for him to work with Balunywa for the good of Africa’s biggest Business School was unanimously rejected. To council members, Anywar’s open hostility to Baryamureeba during yesterday’s meeting wasn’t surprising because the two had previously quarreled to the extent that some members feared Baryamureeba was about to thump the cantankerous politician from Kitgum. This was during the last month Council meeting which threw out Balunywa and appointed Prof Moses Muhweezi to indefinitely serve as Ag Principal. On that day, before finally being forced out of the chair on grounds he was biased going by his anti-Balunywa utterances prior to the meeting, Baryamureeba furiously shut up Anywar saying “you are after all not even a council member.” Unlike Rwamirama who is the chairman Mubs alumni and therefore represents Convocation, Anywar is merely a co-opted member who the Mubs management brought to council to ostensibly benefit from the good developmental ideas she was presumed to have. The same goes for Investments Minister Evelyn Anite. The two are therefore non-voting council members and it’s this unenviable status that Baryamureeba was emphasizing when he told off Anywar asking her to shut up. “The Tuesday council meeting was payback time for Anywar to strike when Baryamureeba [nearly tearful] was at his weakest,” said a council member. Insisting he wasn’t impartial, council members (Okwera, Anywar, Rwamirama and Prof Kansiime) managed to get the much-taunted Baryamureeba out of yesterday’s council meeting. Prof DJ Kabasa of Makerere Veterinary College was the only Council member that was openly pro-Baryamureeba: the two are old friends from Makerere where Barya was Kabasa’s boss as VC. It was him who insisted that Balunywa too moves out so that members can freely give their views on both of them-Balunywa and Baryamureeba.
BALUNYWA SPEAKS;
Before being ordered out, the two Professors were asked to advise the meeting on what they think is the best way to de-escalate the situation. An unusually very apologetic Baryamureeba said he admits previous mistakes and was ready to work with Balunywa for the good of Mubs. Balunywa was asked to respond and said he was doubtful Baryamureeba is someone he can do business with anymore. He even told members how the last time he spoke to Barya to cordially discuss a Mubs matter was last December and it was in a phone call. This shocked members, prompting Rwamirama to say “it’s time up for him [Barya].” Having been a Mubs adult student for both his bachelors and master’s degree programs, Rwamirama has unique respect for Balunywa and sees him as his mentor. Before moving out, Baryamureeba objected to vice chairman being the one to conduct the day’s meeting. He said the vice chairman is too biased against him and consensus emerged that Prof Sam Lugoba (who First Lady Janet Museveni initially preferred to chair the Mubs Council as opposed to Barya) chairs the day’s session-and that is what happened. Indeed Lugoba contested for the council chair but lost to Baryamureeba who was then backed by Balunywa. In yesterday’s meeting Balunywa admitted working hard to get Baryamureeba head the Mubs council and said this was because then Education Minister Jessica Alupo begged him to on grounds that, having lost the Makerere VC race, Barya needed something to keep him busy. Without directly regretting his decision, Balunywa told yesterday’s meeting that he was now wiser (whatever that meant). In the end, members agreed that Baryamureeba immediately leaves and must stay away from all council business for the next three months. There was a very polarizing debate on what his fate must be.
Some members proposed he remains as a mere council member but this was rejected by the majority who said he must leave completely. The argument was that Balunywa needed his space and must have a council chairman under whom he can comfortably serve. There was unanimity that whatever happens, Baryamureeba can’t remain council chairman because, as the trumpeting students kept ranting, that would be recipe for disaster and increased instability at the institution. In the end, a 5 member committee was put in place to study the matter further and report back in three months finally advising on whether Baryamureeba stays as a member or leaves for good. On return, Baryamureeba was told of this news and he said “it’s okay although I don’t understand which law you have based on.” His reference to the law has created fears that he might challenge the committee’s final decision in courts of law. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755
