The Ministry of Education won’t be getting involved into the wrangling between Mbarara University (MUST) Vice Chancellor Celestine Obua and staff who have ganged up demanding that he vacates office. They so impatient with what they call Obua’s draconian policies, they are unwilling to allow him run his race to October this year when his 5 year contract ends. He took office in October 2014 and has been VC for close to 5 years now.
Led by Julius Taremwa who is the General Secretary for the academic staff association (MUSTASA), the staff announced indefinite strike after a general assembly on Thursday 2nd May at MLT Hall.
With backing of all faculty deans, Directors and Departmental heads, the staff are also demanding the immediate knifing of the University Secretary Melchior Byaruhanga who they say is culpable being the accounting officer with a lot to answer for the billions that have been squandered.
Generally speaking, the ring leaders of the strike (that will dismay President Museveni who has always praised MUST dons for not striking) are accusing Obua and Byaruhanga of disrespecting council, playing divide & rule tactics, obscurantism and not being transparent. They say the duo has embezzled lots of money and want a forensic audit on a number of areas. These include University grants and funds that come from both donors and government to finance research. They say the two should be out of office so that they don’t interfere with investigations.
In Obua’s case they are demanding that Council immediately commences the search process for the new VC so that the former Makerere Professor who has so far served one term doesn’t stand any chance for second term. They are also demanding an emergency council and Senate meeting to which staff and student representatives can be invited to give ideas on how to pacify the situation at MUST. They accuse Obua of using his position to frustrate efforts by the governing council to constitute a search committee for the new VC.
MINISTRY SPEAKS OUT
In a phone interview, Mr. Aggrey Kibenge the influential Undersecretary at the Education Ministry said saddening as they are, the events at MUST will have to be resolved by Council and not the Ministry. He referred to the Universities & Other Tertiary Institutions Act which makes Universities autonomous and limits the Minister’s role to merely being advisory on policy matters. “If you have been keen you should have realized that even when Makerere or Kyambogo have had such strikes, we have always not been that much involved,” he said adding that the Ministry participates in the constitution of the governing council which legally must have the last word on the resolution of disputes similar to what MUST is facing right now.
He said the President has often intervened in strike situations at Makerere, Kyambogo and elsewhere because that legally is provided for in the Act making him the Visitor for all public Universities. Partly because of the Museveni efforts and the good leadership skills of the founding VC Prof Fredrick Kayanja, MUST has always been strike-free. Its unlikely Museveni will be able to urgently intervene because of the way the very fast-paced political events in the country are continuing to overstretch him. Charles Kakuru who chairs NUEI (uniting non-teaching support staff) says much as the strike is ongoing, some key aspects of the University will remain operational including emergency services mostly centered on the Faculty of Medicine. The staff in the security department too will continue working as the rest of the colleagues continue laying down tools. (For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755 or email us at mulengera2040@gmail.com).
