Makerere University has directed Dr Faisal Buyinza to step aside as head of the Department of Economic Theory and Analysis while a committee investigates allegations against him.
In a letter to all staff and students dated October 7, Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Sarah N. Ssali said the directive takes effect immediately and covers any other leadership or administrative position Dr Buyinza, an Associate Professor at the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), holds at the university. The Dean of the School of Economics will oversee the department in the interim.
Dr Buyinza has also been directed not to contact, influence or interfere with any complainant or witness.
The investigating committee has until Friday, November 6, 2026 to submit its report to the Vice Chancellor.
Prof Ssali said management shares the concern raised among students, staff, alumni and the public, and recognises the courage it takes to speak about experiences of harassment or violence. She assured everyone who has come forward, or may yet do so, that they will be heard.
Who is on the committee
The six-member committee is chaired by Eng. Assoc. Prof Dorothy K. Okello, Dean of the School of Engineering.
| Member | Role on committee |
|---|---|
| Eng. Assoc. Prof Dorothy K. Okello, Dean, School of Engineering, CEDAT | Chairperson |
| Prof Engineer Bainomugisha, Principal, College of Computing and Information Sciences | Member |
| Dr Christine Mbabazi Mpyangu, Department of Religion and Peace Studies, CHUSS | Member |
| Ms Sumaiyah Nanyondo Sebuta, Legal Advisor | Member |
| Dr Joelia Nasaka, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, CoVAB | Member |
| Mr Deus T. Mujuni, Chief Human Resource Officer | Secretary |
The committee will hear every complainant and witness, and Dr Buyinza will have the full opportunity to respond to each allegation, in line with the principles of natural justice.
How to make a submission
Management has urged all complainants, and anyone with relevant information, to come forward. The committee secretary will soon share an email address and phone numbers for submissions.
The university said all information will be handled in strict confidence and guaranteed that anyone who takes part will be protected from intimidation, victimisation or retaliation.
“Not a finding of guilt”
Prof Ssali stressed that stepping aside and the no-contact directive are administrative measures to protect the integrity of the investigation and those who take part. They are not a disciplinary sanction or a finding of guilt, and the university will not pre-judge the outcome.
If the committee finds Dr Buyinza has a case to answer, the matter will go to the university’s Appointments Board, where he will be given a fair hearing. The university said it will inform the community of the outcome.
The letter acknowledged that some of the matters now raised were the subject of police investigations and criminal proceedings between 2011 and 2014. It said that regardless of those proceedings, the university has its own duty to establish the facts and act on them.
Prof Ssali also asked members of the university community to engage responsibly, including on social media, and to avoid comments that could expose complainants, intimidate witnesses or prejudice a fair process.
How we got here
The action follows a series of TikTok videos by acid attack survivor Hanifa Nakiryowa, who alleges that Dr Buyinza, her former husband and once her lecturer, withheld her marks while she was his student until she agreed to marry him.
The university’s first statement on October 1 did not name him. Nakiryowa called it “a blanketed hollow statement” and demanded concrete steps. A second statement on October 7 announced that the committee had been formed, and the Acting Vice Chancellor’s letter set out its membership and the step-aside directive.
Nakiryowa was attacked with acid in 2011 outside Dr Buyinza’s residence at Makerere. He was charged with attempted murder and denied the charge, and the case was discontinued in 2014. (Pulse Uganda)
Dr Buyinza has not publicly responded to the allegations. CampusBee has contacted him for comment and will update this story.
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