Stella Nyanzi Was Erroneosly Recruited, To Face Disciplinary Action– Report

Written by: 
CHRISTOPHER TUSIIME

A report that has been today released by a committee that was tasked to investigate the situation at Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) has revealed that Stella Nyanzi was not supposed to be an employee of Makerere University.

While reading the report to a press conference at Makerere's main building Council room, the chair person of the committee, Hajjati Buzeki Sharifah said that the appointement letter that Nyanzi responded to on December 14 2009, was not in line with the univeristy policy

"Dr Nyanzi was erroneously issued an appointment letter on parmanent employment terms as a research fellow which is a a contractual job. The subsequent confirmation in her appointment was also erraneous," Buzeki said.

Buzeki added that during their investigations, they found that the Makerere University Human Resource Manual 2009, section 2.2 (a) (x) provides that: " All academic staff shall be engaged in teaching, research and out reach to the community in line with the mission of the University. She added that the appointment letter issued to Nyanzi, on top of being erroneosly given, also indicated that she was directly responsible to Prof Mamdani, which allegiance she also declined to pay.

"In our interpretation, Prof Mamdani act, in his capacity as director of Misr, requiring Dr Nyanzi to teach on the PhD programme was proper and in line with Dr Nyanzi's terms of employment," she explained.

On Nyanzi's stripping naked, the committee also, while carrying out the 25-day-investigation, discovered that Nyanzi's act was not out of the blue which also contravenes the University's policies that emphasises proper code of conduct, and therefore also calls for a punitive action agaisnt Nyanzi.

"By stripping and staging and a premeditated nude demonstration, when she was still in possession of her office keys, Dr Nyanzi contravened section 5(a) of the Makerere University Human Resource Manual. The act of smearing Misr walls with heavy red paint contravenes section 5.6.

"We recommend Dr Nyanzi should be subjected to disciplinary action in line with section 5.8 of the Makerere University Human Resource Manual which categories the actions as she committed as gross misconduct," Hajjati Buzeki clarified.

VC, HR DIRECTOR TO FACE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE

While doing its investigations, the five-member committee also discovered that the Human Resourse director, and the Vice Chancellor, Prof John Ddumba-Ssentamu neglected their duties which would have mitigated the effects of the MISR misunderstanding and therefore deserve to face the disciplinary committee.

She said: "The VC was taking a back seat in matters relating to academic performance and academic affairs despite the provision of section 31 (1)(a) which makes him responsible for academic, administrative and financial affairs of the univeristy. From the minutes the management provided to the committee, there as no evidence that the University had ever discussed the matter since January. 2016 to April 18 2016 when the disagreement went out of hand."

The committee that carried out the investigations since April 25 2016 comprised of HAjjati Buzeki Sharifah (Chairperson), Dr Sarah Ssali (member), Prof Sarah Kiguli (member), Mr Jude Mbabali (member) and Godwin Okiror (secretariat). It was put up by the Makerere University appointments board which is chaired by Bruce Kabasa.