The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo, has preferred charges against former Principal of Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Professor Waswa Balunywa.
According to the charge sheet, Prof. Balunywa is charged with abuse of office, a crime he allegedly committed in March 2023.
He is accused of irregularly recruiting Arike James, Nuwagira Nathan, and Nimrod Kakayi — individuals who reportedly lacked the minimum academic qualifications required for the positions they were appointed to.
Balunywa is charged alongside Namaganda Jacqueline, the former Acting Director of Human Resources and current Chief Quality Assurance Officer at MUBS.
Prosecution contends that between 18th and 28th March 2023, while serving as the Principal of MUBS, Prof. Balunywa abused the authority of his office by arbitrarily recruiting the three individuals.
The three are: Arike James, as an Administrative Assistant, despite not meeting the minimum academic qualifications required for the role; Nuwagira Nathan, also as an Administrative Assistant, under similar circumstances and Nimrod Kakayi, in the same position, again without the necessary qualifications.
The DPP asserts that these actions resulted in ineligible costs to the Government of Uganda.
“Prof. Balunywa recruited Nimrod Kakayi as an Administrative Assistant well knowing that he did not have the minimum academic qualifications for the position, thereby creating ineligible costs for the Government of Uganda,” Abodo stated.
Jacqueline Namaganda is accused of neglecting her duty by failing to evaluate the eligibility of the three appointees. Her alleged inaction contributed to their improper appointment to the roles of Administrative Assistants.
