The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped all corruption charges against former Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Principal, Prof. Waswa Balunywa.
This decision marks the end of a two-month legal standoff that began shortly after Prof. Balunywa’s controversial reappointment as MUBS Principal.
In a letter dated November 7 and signed by former DPP Jane Frances Abodo, the prosecution notified the Anti-Corruption Court of its decision to discontinue all charges against the two accused.
“This is to inform court that the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided to discontinue proceedings against A1, Professor Waswa Balunywa, and A2, Jacqueline Namaganda, charged with three counts of abuse of office under Section 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, Cap 166, and three counts of neglect of duty under Section 101 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 128,” reads the nolle prosequi in part.
According to the charge sheet, Prof. Balunywa had been accused of unlawfully appointing three individuals Arike James, Nuwagira Nathan, and Nimrod Kakayi as Administrative Assistants despite their failure to meet the minimum academic qualifications required for the positions.
The DPP alleged that the appointments were made arbitrarily, in violation of public service procedures, and led to unnecessary costs for the Government of Uganda.
“Prof. Balunywa recruited Nimrod Kakayi as an Administrative Assistant, fully aware that he did not meet the minimum academic qualifications for the position, thereby incurring ineligible costs for the Government of Uganda,” Abodo stated.
Prof. Balunywa had been charged alongside Jacqueline Namaganda, the former Acting Director of Human Resources at MUBS, who currently serves as the institution’s Chief Quality Assurance Officer. Namaganda was accused of neglect of duty for failing to assess the eligibility of the appointees, thereby enabling their improper recruitment.
The alleged offenses were said to have occurred between March 18 and March 28, 2023, during Prof. Balunywa’s tenure as MUBS Principal.
