Makerere University vice chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has said that there’s no need to search for a new VC, maintaining interest in the position.
The VC was in reaction to staff which had asked for the creation of a council responsible for searching his predecessor.
“I am an interested party. For me, I have put in my expression of interest, I can continue if they think I can do a good job,” the Vice Chancellor told Daily Monitor in an interview.
With his term elapsing on August 31, the staff wanted a quick search for a new vice chancellor.
“The search committee is set when you want a new vice chancellor but if you want to retain the one who is there, then there is no need for a committee,” he enlightened.
“There is a VC who is still interested, if the council says, ‘we think he is not fit’ then they will do a search.
The Professor defended his stay in office on grounds that he won an academic award last year.
“I won the African Educationist of the Year Award. So for me, what some of those stakeholders are doing is irrelevant to me. I do not even have time to listen to what they are saying. I am sorry if I offend them but they have no locus on deciding what or who a VC should be. They do not come very near to the decision.”
On the same note, the VC trashed allegations that he serves the interests of a section of individuals.
“My interests are those of the people of Uganda. This is a national university that belongs to people and they have entrusted me to do a good job here- to have a university that works and develops the country. If those are the interests that the government has, then we just coincide,”Prof. Nawangwe added.
The current Makerere University VC was voted into office in 2017 for a five-year term which ends on August 31, 2022.
