Suspension against Muasa chairman lifted following consent judgment
Makarere University academic staff chairperson, Dr Deus Muhwezi Kamuny
What you need to know:
- Makerere staff under their academic and support staff association declared a strike following the suspension of their leaders. The strike paralysed the university’s operations for close to a month.
KAMPALA. The close to two months long suspension that had been imposed against the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) chairman, Dr Deus Muhwezi Kamunyu, has been lifted after the two warring parties consented before the High Court in Kampala.
In January this year, Dr Kamunyu sued Makerere University and its Vice chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, seeking to quash his suspension for allegedly being indisciplined.
However, when the two parties met before Justice Lydia Mugambe of the High Court, a consent judgment was presented to her in which the suspension of the don was lifted on Wednesday. He is also required to subject himself to the internal disciplinary process commenced by the appointments board of the university.
The other issues agreed upon in the consent judgment were; the settlement was in full and final settlement of his civil suit which he had lodged in court in January and that he was at liberty to institute a fresh suit is he felt defamed.
Counsel Hudson Musoke signed the consent judgment on behalf of the Makerere University and Prof. Nawangwe while Counsel Felix Ampaire, who was representing Dr Kamunyu, signed alongside the don.
“A consent judgment is entered in the above terms this 13th day of March 2019,” said justice Mugambe.
Dr Kamunyu had in his law suit, claimed Prof. Nawangwe was trampling on his mandate to speak out against improper running of some affairs of the oldest university in the country.
Dr Kamunyu, a lecturer in the department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), had also faulted Prof. Nawangwe for suspending him in his letter dated January 17, 2019, without giving him notice in writing including grounds for removal from office/employment.
He had decried of how Prof. Nawangwe had through the suspension letter, ordered him not to access the premises of Makerere University and that he had to appear before a committee.
In the suspension letter, Prof. Nawangwe had claimed that Dr Kamunyu was engaging in acts that amount to misconduct, including incitement with intent to cause disobedience and/or strikes to undermine the University administration.
He added that the acts of Dr Kamunyu were bringing the university and its officials into disrepute, intimidation by using abusive and/or insulting language, slanderous and malicious attacks, insubordination, making false statements, among others despite several warnings and engagements with him.
