Lecturers at Makerere School of law from the department of Public and cooperative law have advised the Makerere university vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe to re install the suspended Makerere University Academic staff (MUASA) chairperson Deus Muhwezi Kamunyu and Makerere Administrative Staff Association (MASA) chairperson and his secretary Joseph Kalema.
Prof. John Jean Barya who represented the school of law Lecturers at the joint staff association Press conference held at Makerere University said the suspension of the Union leaders was not only in breach of the University laws but also law in the 1995 constitution.
“Dr. Kamunyu and his colleagues were suspended as employees of the university yet they were suspended practicing their roles as leaders of the Associations” said Prof. Barya.
“The leaders are being attacked personally contrary to what the Vice Chancellor is saying that they are indiscipline and incompetent”. Added Barya
The law lecturers also noted that the suspension of the leaders is an attack to the association and academic freedom, attack to freedom of speech to the university and association staff. As the suspension is taking away the independence of staff associations which is contrary to the law
Prof. Barya on behalf of the law lecturers advised Nawangwe to withdraw the suspension of the leaders which he (Nawangwe) has insisted that was in order to suspend the undisciplined and incompetent members.
December last year (2018) Prof Nawangwe suspended the MASA chairperson Dr. Deus Kamunyu and his secretary Joseph Kalema and by early January this year Dr Deus Muhwezi Kamunyu was suspended on issues of incompetence and indiscipline which the members have termed as political suspensions.
The MUASA vice Chairperson Prof Edward Nector Mwaavu said as MUASA and all other associations they are open for negotiations but they will also stay on their industrial strike until the vice Chancellor lifts the suspension of their leaders unconditionally
