The latest coming in indicates that Makerere University has appealed against the heavy court fine awarded to eight of its accountants.
It should be recalled that the staff dragged the university to court for acting beyond its powers, unfairly and illegally by endlessly shutting the staff out from promotion as well as keeping them at the same rank for over ten years.
The officials include; Sarah Nabawanuka, George Mbabazi, Epaphrah Barenga, James Grace Sserugga, Paul Kiggundu, Herbert Tumukunde, Godfrey Kato and Teddy Tusabe Mugisa, all staff of Makerere University initially recruited in salary scales M13-M15.
As the case progressed, Justice Musa Ssekaana discovered that the university was operating illegally and ordered its Appointments Board to determine the staff’s promotion applications within 90 days in his March 29th 2019 ruling. The university was also urged to make an informed decision based on facts and circumstances of the complainants’ case.
Court ordered the award of 109.6 million shillings to staff after calculating costs. The 109.6 million was inclusive of the sum bill of costs worth 59.6 million shillings as well as instruction fees totaling to UGX 50 million shillings.
According to an application filed in the Civil Division of High Court, Makerere argues that it is a public body depending on public finance which is subject to audit queries if the amount awarded in costs to staff is paid.
“The taxing officer erred both in law and fact in awarding the respondents (staff) the sum of Shs.59.6 million in an ordinary miscellaneous application which were manifesting excessive in the circumstances,” reads an affidavit signed by Yusuf Kiranda, the acting Makerere University Secretary
The staff had applied for promotion through the Appointments Board from their initial ranks of clerical officers.
The officials argued that they had trained on continuous regular staff development through academic improvement, on job training through personal mentorship, close supervision, attendance of seminars and workshops and acquired sufficient qualifications and experience for promotion under the university human resources manual.
