By Andrew Arinaitwe
The Makerere University Council has called for a report on the chaotic December 30 convocation elections. Some of the alumni were violently arrested by members of the military and police during the election.
Chaos ensued after some of the top contenders for the position of the chairperson of the university’s convocation withdrew from the race, citing irregularities.
“I have also been copied in petitions concerning the December 30 elections of the convocation’s executive committee and other matters, such as the alleged three year failure of the convocation executive committee to convene an annual general meeting as required by law and an apparent absence of accountability for the funds advanced by the university budget to the convocation,” Lorna Magara, the chairperson of the council wrote to the vice-chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.
While Magara noted that the issues of the Makerere University Convocation were beyond the scope of the university management, she recognised that any failure, on the part of the convocation, has significant implications for the university management and council.
To that effect, the council expressed the need to prioritise the enactment of a statute to address the lacunas in the existing legal framework.
On December 31, last year, in the wee hours of the morning, the counting of the votes was concluded and the academic registrar Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi announced Dr George Turyamureeba Mugabi as the overall winner. However, Mugabi’s victory win is now under scrutiny.
What The Law Says
The council bases its intervention on section 70(1) of the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions act, 2001, which establishes the convocation as an association, which shall consist of the graduates and staff of the university and other persons as the council may authorize.
Section 70(2), which allows the convocation to exercise powers and perform functions as the statutes may confer it. The enactment of the public university’s statutes is the mandate of the council under section 41(d) of the Act.
The council also requested for a full report on the chaos that occurred in the Yusuf Lule central teaching facility auditorium, a schedule of payments from the university to the convocation over the last four years and the submission of all finances of the convocation, which should be subjected to an audit. The information should be submitted before January 9 this year.
The university secretary, Yusuf Kiranda, received the communication on behalf of Nawangwe and promised to update all stakeholders of the progress. “The purpose of this communication is to notify you of the university council’s concerns and action on the recent developments at Makerere University convocation, I have enclosed a copy of the council’s communication on the matter,” he said.
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