The latest information coming in indicates that The High Court in Kampala has ordered Uganda’s oldest University, Makerere to pay UGX 200 Million to Margaret Etuusa, the Deputy Academic Registrar who was suspended for charging graduands and guests money for keeping their mobile phones.
It was alleged that in the university’s 2017 graduation ceremony, Etuusa hired a private company that kept the phones following the institute’s move to ban mobile phones on that year’s graduation event. Etuusa was suspended by Professor Okello Ogwang, the Acting Vice-chancellor.
Etuusa later dragged three university officials to court and on Wednesday this Week, Justice Lydia Mugambe ruled that Etuusa was not fairly heard by the university.
“The university secretary appears to have been the first to formally write detailing the accusations against the applicant (Etuusa) and requiring an explanation. He wrote to the third responded (Masikye Namoah, university academic registrar). This was after the applicant had made their initial informal explanation to the third respondent .There is no demonstration at all that on receipt of the formal accusation from the secretary, the third respondent referred back to the applicant for specific responses to the allegations.” The Judge ruled.
“Instead the third respondent appears to have forwarded the Applicant’s initial communication to himself. This was irregular in the circumstances of this case.” The Judge’s ruling added.
It said that graduands and guests were charged between Sh3000 to Sh5000 for each phone to be kept safely by the hired company.
The Judge added that it appears Dr. Tanga Odoi was behind Etuusa’s suspension for personal selfish reasons. According to Mugambe, Etuusa was not fairly heard and there is no satisfactory demonstration from any of the respondents that she was guilty.
“It is hard for me to consider therefore that the suspension and disciplinary action against the applicant, in this case, was done fairly, irrationally, and objectively. Rather I am incline to consider and I am convinced that it was a malicious scheme orchestrated by the fourth responded (Tanga). I cannot, therefore, consider that it was done in good faith.“ Mugambe added.
Mugambe also warned that those involved in running public offices as personal businesses at Makerere should be stopped while concluding.
The judge ordered that the March 2017 suspension is lifted and Etuusa restored on her job. She will however face a case filed against her in the Anti-Corruption Court. The judge further ordered Makerere to pay Etuusa Shs200 Million for damages as well as a 10% per annum interest from the ruling date until when she’s cleared fully.
