DOWN…NOT OUT! Balunywa goes native, hits MUBS critics below the belt in a leaked missive
By our reporter
Just days before Prof Wasswa Balunywa’s contract as MUBS boss expired, a section of staff penned down a dossier listing several grounds why he should never step back at the institution.
They allege that a lot of sins were committed during his reign and the institution is now on the death bed.
And among other allegations they are now accusing him of fronting his brother to succeed him.
The dossier, titled ‘PETITION AGAINST REAPPOINTMENT OF PROF. WASWA JUMA BALUNYWA AS PRINCIPAL OF MUBS’ and dated 19 May, 2023 was addressed to line Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni.
Balunywa’s contract expired on 31st May, 2023 and he has since been replaced by Prof. Moses Muhwezi in acting capacity.
However, Balunywa has hit back revealing how he turned the varsity into a world class institution.
STAFF ALLEGATIONS RECAP
May 19, 2023
Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni,
First Lady and Hon. Minister of Education and Sports
KAMPALA
Dear Hon. Mama Kataha Museveni,
RE: PETITION AGAINST REAPPOINTMENT OF PROF. WASWA JUMA BALUNYWA AS
PRINCIPAL OF MUBS
We are the concerned Heads of Departments, Deans of Faculties and Academic staff at Makerere University Business School (MUBS). We are writing to you in confidence but are ready to meet with you and throw more light on the matters in this letter if our security and job safety is guaranteed.
FRONTING HIS BROTHER TO SUCCEED BALUNYWA
We have received information that either Prof. Waswa Juma Balunywa or his younger brother Prof. Mohamad Ngoma will be appointed the next Principal of MUBS on the basis that they are the only suitable candidates for the job. Please note that Prof. Wasswa Juma Balunywa and his young brother Prof. Mohamad Ngoma are the most undesirable and unsuitable candidates to lead MUBS. There are many MUBS staff who are suitable candidates for this job. [This publication understands Ngoma has been a Dean at the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) for 8 years and is the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation – Norad “project manager”. There are questions on how he became the NORAD project manager whereas NORAD was brought to MUBS by another member of staff. Staff want him to provide accountability for NORAD funds. There are also issues with FGSR funds, including the uncommissioned NORAD building which is questionable—EDITOR.)
THE CHAIRMAN MUBS COUNCIL’S LETTER TO H.E. THE PRESIDENT:
It has been reported that the Chairman MUBS Council wrote a letter to H.E. The President indicating that all Heads of Departments and Deans of Faculties and academic staff of MUBS unanimously endorsed Prof. Waswa Juma Balunywa to continue as Principal of MUBS. This is not true. There has never been any Management meeting to discuss Prof. Balunywa’s reappointment. Given that Council deliberates on business from Management and that this issue has never been presented in any Management meeting, it means that Prof. Balunywa turned himself into Management and presented himself to Council. Please note that the Council Chairman, Eng. Isaac Ngobya is conflicted. His companies are the ones doing construction works at MUBS as per the attached petition REF: 2563/20 submitted to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit on 16th March 2020 (attached). To make matters worse, the Vice Chairman of Council is our year one student registered on the Bachelor of Business Administration courtesy of Prof. Balunywa’s generous scholarship. Council members are highly compromised and live to serve Prof. Balunywa’s interests. Prof. Balunywa gives them many benefits such as scholarships, foreign trips, tenders, cash, and jobs for their children among others.
A PETITION SIGNED BY OVER 400 MUBS STAFF:
It has also been reported that there was a petition to H.E. The President signed by over 400 MUBS staff petitioning the President to reappoint Prof. Waswa Juma Balunywa as Principal of MUBS. Most of the staff who signed are new junior staff who were irregularly recruited during COVID 19 lockdown for this purpose. Prof. Balunywa single-handedly recruited the staff without following known procedures. A few senior staff who signed are his allies and accomplices in abuse of office and corruption at MUBS. Some of these have been appointed heads and deans irregularly.
FAILURE TO REMIT PAY AS YOU EARN (PAYE) TO URA:
Over the years, MUBS has not been remitting the right PAYE and other taxes to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). This is made possible through a high-level syndicate. For example, a taxable payment to heads of departments and administrative units, deans, Principal and Deputy Principal dubbed “Responsibility allowance” is currently being paid as a non-taxable item in the name of “Research allowance” in order to evade tax and NSSF. This has led to loss of Government Revenue in billions of shillings. In the year 2020, a whistleblower reported this criminal act to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit but to date, no action has been preferred against the culprits. See attachment.
FAILURE TO REMIT NSSF OF STAFF:
As indicated above, MUBS has not been remitting the correct amount of staff NSSF and in a timely manner as per the law.
IRREGULAR PAYMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY ALLOWANCE:
Prof. Balunywa has abused this fund in many ways. He single-handedly determines how much to pay the beneficiaries. For example, he pays himself a responsibility allowance of over Shs. 40,000,000 per month, whereas he pays faculty deans and heads of departments only Shs. 3,000,000 and Shs. 2,500,000 respectively. Note that most of the work is done by heads and deans given that Prof. Balunywa is rarely on campus. There are many staff who are not eligible for this allowance but are being paid.
REFUSAL TO RESPECT LAWFUL DIRECTIVES OF H.E. THE PRESIDENT ON RECRUITMENTS:
In the year 2020 when there was a COVID 19 outbreak, the President directed all government ministries and agencies to stop recruitments. This was further emphasized by circulars from the Ministries of Public Service and Finance, Planning & Economic Development. In the circulars, Accounting Officers were directed not to recruit staff without budget approval by the Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development. However, Prof. Balunywa went ahead and recruited new staff during COVID 19 lockdown when the School was closed. Between the year 2020 and now, the Prof. Balunywa has recruited over 400 new staff without budget approvals. This has increased the wage bill deficit from Shs. 3 billion to over Shs. 25 billion currently. Because of this, many staff are underpaid outside the established salary structure issued by the PS, Ministry of Public Service.
IRREGULAR RECRUITMENTS OF STAFF:
Some academic staff were recruited into teaching even when they still had retakes and had not completed their Bachelor’s degrees. A case in point is Mr. Robinson Ogwang Apunyu, a former Guild President, who had a retake (failed) in Accounting II but was recruited as a Teaching Assistant, and moreover, with a Second-Class Lower degree. Further, most of the over 400 staff who were recruited never went through Management Committee Meetings. Some were recruited without even applying for the jobs. They were called to pick appointment letters and then asked to write and back date their job applications. This is destroying the academic system in MUBS.
VICTIMIZATION OF MEMBERS OF MANAGEMENT:
Over the years, Prof. Balunywa has victimized members of Management who do not agree with him over the above abuses. Many have been forced to resign their academic leadership positions. For example, Prof. Stephen Nkundabanyanga and Prof. Sulait Tumwiine, Professor Mwesigwa Rogers and others were coerced to resign their Management positions illegally. Other Deans such as Dr. Isaac Magoola and Dr. James Akampumuza were illegally suspended from the School single-handedly by the Principal. Dr Magoola’s case was decided by the high court in which the high court ordered for his reinstatement but Prof Balunywa refused. Other deans victimized are Dr. Geoffrey Bakunda and Prof. Geoffrey Kituyi. This has eroded the quality of management in the School as Members of Management with dissenting views are punished illegally and severely.
REFUSAL TO PAY TUITION FOR STAFF ON PHD STUDIES:
Prof. Balunywa personally mobilized staff to enroll on PhD study programmes at ICT University in Cameroon. However, when he developed personal grudges arising out of conflict of interest with the leadership of the university, he refused to pay tuition for the students. He unilaterally directed the affected staff to register in other universities and begin studies afresh. This is despite Council’s directive that the tuition be paid. Most of the affected staff were already in their final year of PhD studies and had submitted their final thesis but are now stuck. Below is the list of affected staff. Pontius Byarugaba, Asiimwe George, Francis Yossa, Martha Abeja , Maureen Tweyongyere, Massy Nabasirye, Eldred Kyomuhendo, Gladys Angundaru , Judith Among , Olema Hamiza, John Ariko Okelai, Matovu Augustine, Nalowoza Ruquaya , Twesigyomwe Jalo , Nabafu Robinah , Robert Balle Tabani , Regis Namuddu , Phipler Tusubira , Shafic Majabi , Keefa Bwiino and Eunice Kabahinda.
IRREGULAR CREATION OF NEW DEPARTMENTS AND FACULTIES AND APPOINTMENT OF HEADS AND CAMPUS DIRECTORS WHO DO NOT QUALIFY:
Despite the wage bill deficit of Shs. 25 billion, Prof. Balunywa unilaterally created new departments without approval of the Academic Board. He went ahead and appointed his allies who are unqualified to head newly created departments and regional campuses. According to the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act 2006 as amended, academic heads of departments, deans and directors should be elected and must be at the rank of Senior Lecturer and above. However, this is not the case with Prof. Balunywa’s appointments as he has appointed junior staff below the rank of Senior Lecturer to head departments.
TUITION NOT PAID TO URA BUT TO INDIVIDUAL STAFF ACCOUNTS IN MUBS:
There is a staff [names withheld-editor] who collected over Shillings one billion tuition from students using a personal account. However, when Internal Audit unearthed this theft and brought it to the attention of Prof. Balunywa, he transferred this staff from Bursar’s Office to the Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management. Prof. Balunywa never reported this and other corruption cases to the Uganda Police or even MUBS Management. This same corrupt officer is the one assigned with a task of training the next expected School Bursar by the name Susan Nalubega. Ms. Susan Nalubega is Prof. Balunywa’s preferred next School Bursar. Top Management and other jobs in the School are not advertised externally to attract competent Ugandans. Instead, the jobs are hoarded for relatives and friends who can easily be manipulated and used as puppets. All staff in the Revenue Office who were in the know of corruption practices were recently transferred to academic units in order to cover up the fraudulent acts in the Revenue Office.
STEALING OF SCHOOL PROPERTY:
Many properties including but not limited to the two School generators, lift for the New Library, Hospital beds, over 500 chairs, containers, and computers were stolen. However, after Prof. Balunywa learned of the thefts, he suspended one administrative staff instead of handling it as a criminal case. There are many School properties such as very expensive furniture that have been removed from the School and taken to the personal homes of people like Seri and Namu as well as other relatives and friends.
CONTINUING TO OPERATE EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS IN THE DEAN OF STUDENTS OFFICE.
Despite a government directive to close all School accounts and have all fees paid to the Uganda Revenue Authority, some students’ tuition is collected and spent locally. There is an account in the Dean of Students’ Office where money is channeled through for use.
PAYING PERSONAL STAFF:
Prof. Balunywa has recruited personal staff including shamba boys, gardeners, cooks, maids and security guards in his various homes.
IGG UNRESOLVED CASES:
Over the years, several cases have been opened against Prof. Balunywa and other members of Top Management by the IGG. However, none of these has ever been logically concluded.
ABSENTEEISM AND ABSCONDMENT FROM DUTY:
Prof. Balunywa is very rarely in his known and official office and maintains no official telephone line through which he can be accessed. Because of this, staff and students have to look for him in his various homes. He has no reporting line through which deans and heads of departments can reach him.
PRAYERS
We pray that:
- Prof. Waswa Juma Balunywa is not re-appointed as Principal of MUBS due to the above and many other cases.
- To disband the current MUBS Council and cause an investigation into their activities in MUBS.
- You institute an investigation on the above listed cases.
- You institute a special forensic audit of MUBS finances to establish the extent of corruption therein.
- You conduct a Human Resource Audit to weed out unqualified academic staff who have been irregularly recruited into School Service.
- You advertise the job of Principal and have the right person take up this role.
BALUNYWA HITS BACK
Prof Balunywa has protested the allegations raised in a July 2nd letter addressed to the Ag. Principal, Prof. Moses Muhwezi; read on verbatim:
RE: DOCUMENTS CIRCULATING IN THE SCHOOL
You will forgive me for this initiative to write to you since I have formally no locus of writing this particular letter. However, I feel obliged since I am the subject of discussion in the school by various parties in various fora. For this reason, I find it important that I share this with you. Besides you are aware I had expressed interest to continue to serve as Principal which to-date has not been responded to, hence my continued interest in MUBS.
I have received a document which is circulating among staff in the school in which I have been accused of numerous things and I believe that you too have this document. It would have been good if the document was investigated by you as Head of Institution so that you get insights of the issues. This document is addressed to the First lady and Honorable Minister of Education. Clearly. The motivation of the document is to prevent renewal of my contact as Principal following my expression of interest and recommendation by the School Council to the Minister.
You will recall that the position of MUBS Management, till I believe recently, was that anonymous documents should be treated with contempt but should be investigated. I believe that this document is in that category. I have over the years led the institution bringing it to where it is now. A world class institution we all take pride in. An institution that many people would like to lead! I believe given that contribution, I deserve better than being paraded as a common corrupt person. The institution also takes that character. I am not an angel. I am sure I have made mistakes here and there which is normal. Since these allegations target me and shade bad light on the Institution. I wish to provide the following information:
CORRUPTION, FRONTING BROTHER
The allegation about me being corrupt and then bringing up “my brother” Prof. Ngoma and both of us being unsuitable for the position of Principal of the institution! I have been the Principal of MUBS for over twenty years leading the phenomenal growth of MUBS has experienced. To say that I am unsuitable is a mockery on the position and the process of appointing a Principal. To say I am corrupt is opportunistic. Those that have said this are beneficiaries of my ideas and leadership. This is not the way to contest for leadership. Prof. Ngoma is indeed my brother but he has an impeccable record of service. He is a self-made person despite circumstances. To drag him into my application for renewal is most unfair to him. There must be a hidden agenda about him. This agenda originates from another document attached to this one in which my relatives are mentioned. If anybody follows criteria and is eligible, you cannot deny him/her from being recruited.[This publication understands Ngoma has been a Dean at the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) for 8 years and is the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation – Norad “project manager”. There are questions on how he became the NORAD project manager whereas NORAD was brought to MUBS by another member of staff. Staff want him to provide accountability for NORAD funds. There are also issues with FGSR funds, including the uncommissioned NORAD building which is questionable—EDITOR.)
ICT-U STUDENTS SAGA
It is absurd for someone to say that I refused to pay tuition fees for students. If I am not mistaken all the individuals mentioned in that document have their fees paid up to date! You could verify this. There are procedures for paying tuition for PhD students. Verify if any eligible person has not had their fees paid. However, I have seen documents and requests by Dr. Kituyi to have people graduate! It means he must have been behind the denial of MUBS staff from graduating. He has now unblocked it because I am away!! This means he deliberately sabotaged colleagues and has been attributing their woes to me. This is clear testimony. I gather that Dr Kituyi has been collecting money on behalf of ICT- U and even issues receipts! I suspect he has knowledge of the alleged nonpayment of fees. MUBS did its part and paid. Let them demonstrate what is owed that is due, other than that of continuing students.
MUBS has been sending students to ICT-U over the years and I do not see Mr. Kituyi’s role in this except when I learnt recently that he was in charge! He is neither the Principal nor the Bursar. He had no mandate to handle ICT-U issues in MUBS.
The fact he has done so must be with your permission. We supported ICT-U but the actions of the ICT-U including belittling us, abuses to our staff made many of us think that ICT-U deliberately took decisions guided by Dr. Kituyi to frustrate staff. MUBS owing ICT-U should be investigated further.
( A section of staff insist Balunywa is bringing up this issue in an attempt to water down their efforts in helping colleagues resume their studies after his contract expired and he was no longer able to continue his pestilence on staff but this is a story for another day—EDITOR.)
NSSF, PAYE
There are issues of NSSF and Pay As You Earn (PAYE). These are verifiable issues. Any person who has an accounting background knows that at the end of the month there are deductions made on the payroll and these deductions are posted on the suspense account until such a time as when they are remitted. This is very visible and each person in the school has a TIN Number. It’s absurd to think that deductions were made and no remittances were made. This has been a common issue in allegations about management over the last few years.
Regarding NSSF, you are aware that while the Government enhanced our salaries, they did not give us the 10% employer contribution! We have had to hustle, to find means of paying that 10%. The employer’s contribution to NSSF on this enhancement is in the range of Shs. 5 billion a year! This must come from our non- wage which you know is mainly our internally generated funds. It is easy for someone who wishes to malign another to mention this. Indeed we struggle to pay NSSF because of the actions of the Government, but we pay.
STAFF RECRUITMENT
It is said I have recruited over 400 staff illegally in the last 2 years. You are aware that staff are appointed by the Appointments Board. We have established a system over the years where we involve Heads of Department in identifying staff who will be recruited and indeed they do and they send it to the Principal who forwards it to the Appointments Board. This process has been abused and used by various HOD including sectarian appointments which are visible if you go into our records.
I took the privilege to appoint those who have been in the Guild or deserving students like Persons With Disabilities either as Academic staff or Administrative staff. Former Guild Officials have a role they play in ensuring harmony within the school. It is because we have former Guild Presidents and their colleagues appointed within the school that we have minimized students’ unrest. Those who have been appointed have played a very important role in stabilizing the student’s issues in the school. This is one of the reasons we hardly have strikes.
I am informed that Mr. Sonny Nyeko had sent in recommendations for staff to complain about them. That is true he did. The reason I had not tabled them was that all his recommendations were people from the same region! This is absurd! He is also aware that he recommended other people who have been appointed still from the same region. His claims are therefore ill intentioned. As acting Principal please verify. The files are in the possession of the school.
(On the contrary, one of the staff members told us that most of these recruitments have never gone through Management meetings where he is even a member. That whereas Heads of Departments and Deans would often identify qualifying Ugandans, conduct interviews and recommend those successful for recruitment Prof. Balunywa present his own to the Appointments Board! Also, a section of staff feel Balunywa should not have used the pretext of stopping strikes to recruit unqualified former guild leaders into teaching. Does this mean that even those with retakes should be recruited? What kind of graduates are we going to send to the industry when the teaching staff recruited do not meet minimum requirements? “wonders a staffer—EDITOR).
COUNCIL CHAIR LETTER TO M7
In that same document, it is believed that the Chairman Council wrote a letter to His Excellency the President. This, to the best of my knowledge, is not true. But of course this can be verified. I am aware the Chairman of the Council wrote a letter to the First Lady and the Minister of Education on behalf of the Council. This followed Council’s resolution on renewal of my contract. I am aware of other letters written to His Excellency which I believe you too are aware of!
ALLOWANCES
There also issues of responsibility allowances paid to the Principal. The Principal is a Principal and not the Head of Department. Like any other CEO, the Principal has entitlements and these entitlements cannot be the same as those of Deans. The roles of a Principal are not in any way similar to those of Deans and HODs which manage a limited number of activities. As a current occupant of the Office who has one time been HOD and Dean, I guess you see the difference. It is this office that those making allegations want. But can they meet the requirements?
(A section of staff say in trying to justify the unfairness in payments, he demeans the role played by heads and deans in the School and uplifts himself to the altar—EDITOR.)
STAFF VICTIMISATION
The document also talks about victimization of members of management, I am aware that the individuals mentioned here are the people who periodically come up with complaints about anything that is done in the institution. In fact not all who complain are mentioned. It seems their vision of MUBS is different from what we have. I am not surprised that they are mentioned. The author of this document. I suspect is one of these people who persistently complain about issues in the institution. Despite years of service, he has delivered nothing in the institution that we can show off. He is a product of elections. Has not benefited from the School’s systematic executive development. Complaints or disagreement are normal but what are you complaining about? How were they victimized?
IRREGULAR ESTABLISHMENTS OF DEPARTMENTS AND FACULTIES:
This statement is of course made by a person who is ignorant of procedures of the institution and who lacks understanding of the vision and mission of the School. The person has no idea about administration of Universities or how Departments and Faculties are created. When MUBS was started it was a one Faculty with two Departments!
Because of the growth we have orchestrated, it has now over 20 Departments, 4 campuses and 8 Faculties. These units are created by Council and to say they are created by an individual is to exhibit ignorance and naivety and show lack of respect for Council. Units are created to align structure with strategy. The growth of the school creates a need for a changing organizational structure. The Authors of this document are beneficiaries of these units. They have occupied positions in the School Faculties and Departments!
STEALING SCHOOL PROPERTY:
In the last eight (8) months or so, some information came to my knowledge about theft of items in school. These were police cases which are handled by the Police and also handled by our Staff Disciplinary Committee and by the Appointments Board. The way this is brought up is to make me be part of the problem! The school has procedures for handling misconduct of staff. Those that have been involved in thefts have been dealt with. We have various organs including the Internal Audit, Auditor General, IGG who can make independent verification of these items. I am aware that authors of this document have been advisors to some of these thieves.
OTHER ALLEGATIONS
There are a number of other things which I am not aware of: paying personal staff using MUBS funds, continuing to operate expenditure accounts with the Dean of student’s office: I am aware that the Dean of Students account is used for paying living out allowances and other students’ activities.
(A section of staff are wondering why Members of Management are kept unaware of this illegality by operating an expenditure account with the Dean of student’s office. “Did we get approval from the Ministry of Finance to continue operating local bank accounts? Who are the signatories to these accounts? Where does the money going to these accounts come from? How about tuition which is paid to individuals? He has not made any comment on the tuition which was collected by a staff member and no criminal charges were neither preferred nor disciplinary action taken against her. Should we believe that this was an omission?” a staffer wonders—EDITOR.)
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR A 72 PAGE DOSSIER THE STAFF WROTE TO IGG WHICH MAY TAKE MANY DOWN.
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