News reaching us is that Kyambogo University is once again in the spotlight over a legal dispute concerning their Vice Chancellor, Prof Eli Katunguka and Director Human Resource, Richard Manano.
The staff of Kyambogo University Especially Library Assistants and Security, have sued the said University Officials for having obtained illegal employment contracts.
According to the court documents seen by Campus Bee, Prof Katunguka is being sued for having been contracted in public office yet at the time he was above (60) sixty years. This contravenes the law and it is feared that the VC’s contract will be renewed inspite of the fact that he is making 68 years (born 1955).
According to the law governing public service, public servants retire at the age of 60 years, although there are exceptions to a person being appointed on contract, the vice chancellor Kyambogo University did not meet the criteria for the said exceptions.
Similarly, the procedure for appointment of the vice chancellor was flouted as no advertisement and interviews were conducted. The case was filed in the High Court of Uganda Civil Division and it is pending hearing.
The Human Resource Director on the other hand is sued premised on the fact that his contract expired but he has continued to occupy office and receive salary and allowances without a contract. It is also alleged that there is a clandestine move to renew his contract without following proper channels and procedures.
Kyu’s legal battles with staff
Kyambogo University has been embroiled in a serious legal battle with Library staff for about 5 years, who accuse the top management for illegally denying and withholding their salaries and allowance contrary to the law.
In the suit that is before the Industrial Court, the library assistants want court to decree that the illegal withdraw of their salaries by Kyambogo university is illegal and the same should be paid.
Each Library assistant is supposed to earn about Ushs 5,000,000/= this salary is based on the annual salary increment in all universities approved by government.
However, the library assistants earn only Ushs 1,600,000/ =
This means that about Ushs 3,400,000/= is being withheld from the library assistants.
According to the information available, the position of library assistants was regraded according to Public standing order and the university council approved their salary entitlements.
The possible staffs, however, such as the Human Resource and Secretary to the university were directed to implement the council decision but to date the same has been neglected.
If court rules in favour of the library assistants, the university will pay the library assistants billions of shillings- although it is stated that the monies are paid by government, but some officials in the university are illegally withholding it and using it for their personal gain.
We shall follow this case closely and keep you posted.
