KAMPALA . Court in Kampala has remanded former Makerere University Business School (Mubs) principal, Prof Waswa Balunywa to Luzira Prison on charges of abuse of office.
Prof .Balunywa, 68, who superintended MUBS for more than two decades until his retirement in 2022, is accused of “arbitrarily” recruiting three individuals as administrative assistants between February and April 2023 despite knowing they lacked the minimum academic qualifications.
Prosecutors allege that the appointments of Arike James, Nuwagira Nathan and Nimrod Kakayi “created ineligible costs for the Government of Uganda.”
The charge sheet seen by this publication states that “whilst employed as the Principal of Makerere University Business School, in abuse of the authority of his office, [Balunywa] did an arbitrary act to wit recruited Arike James as an Administrative Assistant well knowing that he did not have the minimum academic qualifications for the said position.”
Similar charges were slapped against Prof.Balunywa over his alleged involvement in hiring of Nuwagira Nathan and Nimrod Kakayi under the same circumstances.
Prof . Balunywa faces three counts of abuse of office under section 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act. He has denied wrongdoing.
Also on the same charge sheet is Mubs Chief Quality Assurance Officer Jacqueline Namaganda who is facing three counts of neglect of duty for allegedly failing, in her capacity as acting Human Resource Director at the time, to evaluate the eligibility of the same appointees.
Director of Public Prosecutions Jane Frances Abodo consented to the charges after investigations by the Criminal Investigations Directorate . These joint a growing list of civil servants who have of late been arrested and prosecuted over corruption related cases . Prof.Balunywa will return to court on September 5 to hear his bail application .