Makerere Lecturer Accused of Raping Student Released on Bail

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High Court in Kampala yesterday granted a Shs 1m bail to Makerere University lecturer , Prof Christopher Bakuneta, who was jailed following allegations of raping a student.

While delivering his ruling, Justice Yasin Nyanzi also ordered Prof Bakuneta to deposit in court his passport on top of reporting to court once in a month, starting on November 15.

Justice Nyanzi also noted that the rape victim,  Vanesha Ntegesa, had written to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) requesting court to drop the charges against Bakuneta, arguing that her claim  to police against him did not amount to rape.

Basing on that letter, Justice Nyanzi also realised that Ntegesa was now pleading for the release of Bakuneta as she argued the act that landed the latter into jail was consensual, and therefore saw no reason for denying the Zoology lecturer bail.

Bakuneta was suspended from Makerere University College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) by Makerere University Council following allegations that he had raped and infected, with Aids,  Ntegesa, who was sleeping in his garage. The ‘rape’ act was allegedly committed on March 27, 2016, and it’s still unclear whether Makerere will soon allow Bakuneta back into the university.

But Bakuneta is not the first lecturer to be suspended from Makerere or get jailed over sexual harassment allegations. In April,  a one Brian Musaga, a lecturer from Makerere College of Business and Management studies was also handed a suspension over the same issue.

It’s alleged that Musaga was caught red handed in a sexual act in his office with a one Kayesu who had gone to get assistance from him about her final project. Musaga was since arrested and a ruling on his case will soon be given even though Kayesu had insisted he was her long-boyfriend.