If you have been an ardent follower of news and updates from Kabale and Western Uganda, you must have encountered some stories on the sacking of Prof. Benon Basheka, the Deputy Vice Chancellor i/c of Academics at Kabale University – a government institution of higher learning.
The stories suggest that Prof. Basheka was sacked for ‘gross misconduct and insubordination’ without particularly delving into the matter to break down the misconduct and insubordination that they claim.
The stories have also quoted “a highly placed source” in the university to claim that the DVC pleaded guilty to the said charges of misconduct and insubordination that were contrary to the University Human Resource Manual and management voted that he is sacked from office.
The stories further claimed that efforts to reach the Professor were futile as his phone wasn’t going through.
Campus Bee has seen a dossier written by Prof. Basheka about the situation and exclusively brings you the unreported side of the DVC battling the allegations. In our quest for information, we also sought to understand what the “gross misconduct and insubordination” that was flashed all over the news entailed.
The genesis of his problems seems to be a February 7th, 2024 petition to the office of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) demanding intervention and investigations about the mismanagement of students’ results at Kabale University, de-enrolment of some students by the academic registrar’s department to sit exams without knowledge of the finance department, existence of many inactive students in the system, unauthorized changes in fees structures of some students when the finance department is not aware and unauthorized change of students from private students to government sponsorship among others.
This petition seems to be what rubbed off certain power welders in the university and they decided to go for his head. In a country where systems are barely working, it is no surprise that civil servants that seek to rectify them are the ones that suffer witch hunt and embarrassment. There are many examples of this and Prof. Basheka’s situation isn’t falling far from that tree.
“One of my greatest fights has been to ensure integrity in the handling of student results. While efforts have significantly been made to deny that there is a problem, the problem remains real and serious. There is no university that can stand with the level of impunity exhibited in the management of results that the team at Kabale University are engaged in.” Prof. Basheka wrote in his dossier.
When he set out to correct what he believes is impunity in handling students’ results (as he should since he is the DVC in charge of Academics), offices ganged up and scapegoated the matter saying he is discrediting the system for his own individual gain and to launch a campaign for the highest office in the university.
“I have had to take a painful decision to petition the NCHE to do a thorough investigation on the matter. This action should not be criminalized and my interest to safeguard the university is the only reason I have done that. This was because all efforts by internal organs had failed yet the examples as highlighted in my dossier are huge and detrimental to the image of the university.” Prof. Basheka further writes.
This is not the first time, questions on academics have popped up about the university as 7 years ago, we reported about a one Kennedy Rwaboona Misindo and William Kururagire who dragged Kabale University to court for awarding honorary doctorates that are not accredited by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). The university refuted the claims at the time but like the saying goes, a beautiful face cannot hide an ugly heart for long.
In his dossier, Prof. Basheka further called upon the Kabale University Council to address themselves to existing forensic audits and investigation into two specific offices at the university by the IGG that he believes could be gaining from the current rot at the university and as such expedited his quick disciplinary hearing and dismissal to prevent him from opening their can of worms. He specifically points out the University Secretary and the Chairperson of the Appointments Board.
“The University Secretary and Chairperson of the Appointments Board initiated this disciplinary case for their own selfish reasons. I invite Council to demand a report of the IGG investigation against the two and this will answer the motivation behind my current troubles. Council is mandated to receive these documents and it should not be a secret to only some members of management and appointments Board. This is how confusion is being created to engage unnecessary wars when some members have no understanding of their genesis.” Prof. Basheka said.
The University Secretary, Mr. Johnson Baryantuma Munono is not new to scandal. He has held positions of Town Clerk in Mbarara and Masaka in the recent past with reported financial scandals.
In 2016, Councilors in Mbarara recommended that he steps aside and allows a forensic audit of the Municipality finances when they unearthed gross financial misappropriations under his watch. He had been accused of flouting management procedures and running the municipality like family property.
Earlier in 2012, the Mayor of Masaka petitioned the Ministry to sack Mr. Munono who was Town Clerk then for frustrating service delivery in the municipality. Munono was accused of failure to implement lawful resolutions and lack of supervision of projects that cist the municipality millions of shillings in shoddy works.
See attached, the detailed dossier by Prof. Basheka on what’s happening at the university.
