IGG says Balunywa should be sacked

The Inspector General of Government has said the Makerere University Business School Principal, Prof. Waswa Balunywa, should be fired because he allegedly lacks suitable academic credentials for the post.
Mr Raphael Baku says the academic and administrative head of MUBS should, by law, at least hold a PhD degree, which Mr Balunywa lacked at the time of his appointment on July 14, 2008.

In a January 6 report, the IGG noted that the principal’s instrument of appointment was also irregularly signed by Education Minister Namirembe Bitamazire, and not the Education Service Commission, as required by law.

"The Education Service Commission erred when it failed to subject the position of principal MUBS to a competitive process, especially since it was clear that the only candidate, Prof. Waswa Balunywa, lacked the academic qualifications for the position," the report to Ms Bitamazire reads in part.

Yesterday, Prof. Balunywa said it was prejudicial for him to “comment on a matter before court”. At the time of his appointment in 2008, on President Museveni’s directive, Prof. Balunywa was pursuing PhD studies at the University of Sterling in Scotland. The administrator says he has since finished the programme.

The IGG’s inquiries emanated from a petition by disaffected senior staff members, Julius Kakuru, Dr James Akampumuza, Geoffrey Bakunda and Eddy Tukamushaba.

The IGG said although the quartet was irregularly ousted, he could not order for their reinstatement since they were initially parachuted to those posts unlawfully.