By Doreen Nyanjura
The manner in which Dr Chrispus Kiyonga was appointed as Chancellor Makerere University is indicative of the greater challenges plaguing the country.
Section 30(1) of the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001 (As Amended) provides that, “there shall be a Chancellor for each public university appointed by the president on the recommendation of the University Council”.
Pursuant to the above provision, the University Council constituted a search committee that advertised the vacancy and called on interested individuals to apply.
Elaborate due processes were followed, and the names of two candidates, Prof William Bazeyo and Dr Charles Wana Etyem were forwarded to the president/visitor by the council for him to make a choice. He ignored the act, he ignored the two names selected after an exhaustive search process and instead, he chose his long-time political ally, Dr. Chrispus Kiyonga, who did not go through any vetting process.
This seemingly simple procedural oversight is a reflection of what has gone wrong in our country. Indeed, Makerere University is living up to its designation as “Uganda summarized,” albeit for the wrong reasons.
Like the rest of the country, lecturers and students are mute about this irregular appointment. The complacency that has for a long time defined citizens has engulfed the hill.
The current Chairman of the University’s Appointments Board, Mr. Edwin Karugire is the president’s son-in-law. Now we have another dyed-in-the-wool political cohort appointed without following laid procedures all of whom are under the wings of the First Lady and Minister of Education.
This irregular appointment dents the university’s image, just like all other institutions in this country that have been personalized and turned into extensions of Museveni’s family rule and his cohorts.
Nepotism and the total disregard of institutions and laid down procedures in the conduct and management of public affairs will destroy our country. It is the iceberg that will sink Uganda.
