The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has dropped investigations into the alleged false and fraudulent degree award that was awarded to former Miss Uganda, Quin Abenakyo on the 18th of January 2018 by Makerere University. This occurred after the complainant, David Musiri told the council that he had lost interest in the matter.
David Musiri who was a second year student of Bachelor of Commerce (External) at the time petitioned the director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Grace Akullo and NCHE to investigate the alleged illegal activities of the vice chancellor of Makerere , Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, and professor Wasswa Balunywa, the principal of Makerere Business School( MUBS).
Musiri wanted the two officials to be investigated for allegedly issuing fake degrees, corruption, diverting money meant for bursaries among other cases. He at the time claimed that Abenakyo did not complete all the legal requirements for the award of a bachelors degree yet she was allowed to “pretend otherwise” on 18th January 2018 with the blessing and enthusiastic handshake from the vice chancellor.
It was then reported on February 7, 2019 that Abenakyo miraculously graduated with a second class upper degree in business computing yet she had a retake in the” financial management” course unit. Her retake was scheduled to be done on September 1, 2019 a time she was away attending a beauty pageant. It was then established from sources in the office of Makerere University academic registrar that Abenakyo did not fulfill the requirements of graduation.
She was however assisted to graduate by being given a “special examination” outside Makerere university academic policy guidelines. Despite the red flag raised by David Musiri, it didn’t receive feedback from NCHE and neither did his petition to the CID get considered. This prompted him to drop the case.
“We have since got in touch with David Musiri on his cell phone who has since expressed no interest in pursuing the case any further and would therefore wish that we don’t investigate it as earlier planned ” Dr. Robert Ayine, the senior higher education officer of NCHE said.
