Makerere University students have pinned the academic staff association chairman, Dr Muhammad Kiggundu, of inciting students to cause a riot there on October 30, 2016.
The accusation came to the fore as the university visitation committee met with students in the main hall, recently, in a four-hour session. Led by its chairman, Dr Abel Rwendeire, about six of the 10 members of the visitation committee met students over the strike that saw the university closed for over two months.
After the students were asked to raise their issues, the guild president Roy Ssemboga asked Rwendweire to recommend punitive action against Dr Kiggundu.
“I have evidence that Muasa [Makerere University Academic Staff Association] chairman Dr Muhammad Kiggundu bribed students to join their strike, something that sparked off violence,” Ssembogga said, to loud applause. “Such people should be disciplined.”
When asked later about the accusation, Kiggundu, who did not attend this meeting, said he was too busy to comment on the matter. “I will give your media house a comment some other time,” Kiggundu said.
However, Muasa spokesperson, Dr Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi, denied that the association had incited students to fuel their strike against management’s failure to pay their arrears in allowances.
“What I know, students met us on several occasions and we agreed on what to do. When they first met us, we said we have issues and we want them addressed,” Muhwezi said.
“The first time when we went on strike, they asked us to help them [and suspend our strike] and we did, but the second time of course they failed. It is very embarrassing for them to say that [we incited some students to join our strike].”
MANAGEMENT ACCUSED
The committee was set up to find a lasting solution to the numerous strikes at Makerere. After several meetings with staff, the committee met the students.
Besides Dr Kiggundu, the students were also unhappy about what they saw as mismanagement by the university administration.
Ssemboga was among several students that asked for action against the vice chancellor, Prof John Ddumba-Ssentamu, for misusing the institution’s finances.
The guild president said he was aware of a company that sought to lease the institution’s land that is in Kabanyolo, Wakiso district, at a fee of Shs 2 billion per six months, in 2012. This firm reportedly wanted to go into tree planting but was denied the opportunity.
When asked about this, Prof Ddumba-Ssentamu said he was unaware of the Kabanyolo deal, denying that it had ever been presented to him or the university council. He added that he has never stolen a single coin from the university coffers.
“I’m very happy a special audit has been sanctioned at Makerere. Let them [probe committee] come up with a special audit and we shall see the outcome of that audit; whether I’m the one taking the money or there is a problem at Makerere,” Ddumba-Ssentamu said.
“The truth of the matter is that the money is not enough. There is a problem here as far as funding is concerned. But let us have the audit to establish what is happening at Makerere. But to the best of my knowledge, these are just mere allegations.”
The students also asked the committee to push for an improvement in student welfare and punishment for lecturers who habitually dodge classes and still push for what they said were huge salaries.
But Ssembogga threw in one for the government that set up the committee, in the first place.
“We also want the government to stop interfering with running of university affairs,” Ssemboga said.
The students asked Dr Rwendeire to make thorough investigations and find viable ventures where the university can get funds from, instead of relying only on tuition fees and the government subvention.
DETERMINED
In his response, Rwendeire assured students that his committee would work to find a lasting solution for Makerere’s problems.
“We are not going to leave any stone unturned. If we find that there are those who 'ate' the money, they will surely bring it back,” Rwendeire promised.
He added that they would also look at staff concerns about the lack of sufficient research funds as Makerere remains the best university in Africa, in the opinion of the committee.
“Academic staff have to do research. We want to find out what we can do to better that research,” he added.
Rwendeire concluded by assuring students that his report will not be shelved and will be treated seriously.
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