Following last month’s appointment of Dr Annie Begumisa as the new Kyambogo University Academic Registar, Dr Peter Okello has petitioned the High Court seeking fresh recruitment for the position of the Academic Registrar at the Banda based University.
Dr Begumisa is a former Academic Registrar for Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Nakawa who signed a 5 year contract as Kyambogo’s new academic registrar.
Dr Okello fears that he is likely to continue suffering irreparable harm through violation of his fundamental right to equality and non-discrimination, humiliation, loss of reputation and loss of future salary. According to Okello’s petition that was received by the high court on April 10, 2018, Dr Okello complains that the process leading to the appointment of Dr Begumisa was held illegally.
“…i was therefore left with the suspicion that perhaps the Appointments Board was interested in having the Academic Registrar vacancy filled by a particular person, but who it had not shortlisted after the first external advert had been published,” reads part of the petition.
The job was first advertised on April 7, 2017 on the University website seeking for eligible candidate to fill up the position. The University’s Appointment’s Board received and considered applications from 13 individuals. However, the Board only shortlisted Dr Okello and Dr Begumisa.
According to Okello’s affidavit, during its 87th meeting held on July 5, 2017, the Appointments Board declined to interview him and Dr Begumisa and instead decided to externally re-advertise the vacancy. This decision made Dr Okello to argue that nowhere in the 2014 Human Resource Manual is the Appointments Board obliged to shortlist more than two candidates before it can proceed to interview them.
Okello further revealed that at the age of 53 years, he is shy of retirement, explaining that the academic registrar vacancy was his last opportunity to occupy the highest office before retirement. Dr Okello has been the Acting Academic Registrar for Kyambogo University for one year, following the expiry of the term of Rose Nabwire.
