KAMPALA, UGANDA – Former Makerere University Business School (MUBS) principal, Professor Waswa Balunywa, has been remanded to Luzira Prison following his court appearance on charges of abuse of office and corruption.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The prosecution alleges that between February and April 2023, Prof. Balunywa orchestrated the irregular recruitment of three administrative assistants Arike James, Nuwagira Nathan, and Nimrod Kakayi despite their lack of required academic qualifications.
These actions, constituting an alleged misuse of public resources, reportedly forced the Ugandan government to unlawfully incur substantial financial costs by continuously funding the salaries of unqualified staff over an extended period.
The case, initially sanctioned by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo, has expanded significantly in scope and severity.
New allegations presented in court accuse Prof. Balunywa of overseeing a widespread pattern of irregular appointments between 2020 and 2023, bypassing the university’s legally mandated appointments committee.
The prosecution now claims he single-handedly approved the illegal recruitment of 103 academic staff, 17 administrative staff, and 69 support staff bringing the total number of questionable appointments to nearly 200.
The presiding magistrate, emphasizing the gravity of the expanded charges, ordered Prof. Balunywa remanded into custody at Luzira Prison until September 5, when his high-profile case is scheduled for a subsequent hearing.
The proceedings have attracted substantial public attention, raising serious concerns about governance and ethical recruitment practices within Uganda’s public universities.
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