Former Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Principal Prof Waswa Balunywa is the happiest man in town after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdrew all corruption-related charges against him.
Prof Balunywa’s co-accused, Ms Jacqueline Namaganda, has also been set free, bringing to an end a two-month legal battle that followed his controversial reappointment at the helm of the institution.
In a withdrawal form dated November 7, 2025, and signed by former DPP Jane Frances Abodo, prosecution informed the Anti-Corruption Court that it had decided to discontinue proceedings against the duo.
“This is to inform court that the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided to discontinue proceedings against A1, Professor Waswa Balunywa, and A2, Jacqueline Namaganda, charged with three counts of abuse of office c/s 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act Cap 166, and three counts of neglect of duty c/s 101 of the Penal Code Act Cap 128,” reads part of the withdrawal notice.
When the matter came up for mention, Principal Assistant DPP Caroline Nabaasa presented the formal notice of withdrawal before Grade One Magistrate Christopher Opit, who accordingly discharged the two.
“The charges are hereby withdrawn, and the accused persons are discharged,” ruled Magistrate Opit, before ordering the refund of their properties, including cash bail, and the release of their sureties and land title.
The decision marks a dramatic turn in a case that had attracted wide public interest since Prof Balunywa was charged with multiple counts of abuse of office and neglect of duty.
According to the initial charge sheet, the former MUBS Principal was accused of unlawfully recruiting over 100 staff members between 2020 and 2023 without approval from the institution’s Appointments Committee.
The DPP alleged that the appointments, which included 103 academic staff, 17 administrative staff, and 69 support staff, were irregular and contrary to the law governing public service recruitment.
Prof Balunywa, who denied all charges, was later remanded to Luzira Prison in September 2025 pending a ruling on his bail application.
His co-accused, Namaganda, then serving as Acting Director of Human Resource and later Chief Quality Assurance Officer, faced three counts of neglect of duty. She was accused of failing to assess the eligibility of several administrative recruits allegedly appointed without proper qualifications.
The now-withdrawn charges stemmed from controversies surrounding Prof Balunywa’s extended tenure at MUBS. In 2018, when his fifth term as Principal expired, Education Minister Janet Museveni had directed the Education Service Commission to begin searching for his replacement.
But President Museveni later overruled her and ordered Balunywa’s immediate reappointment, citing his contribution to the liberation ideology and administrative experience.
Balunywa’s reappointment, which extended his leadership to May 2023, later came under scrutiny as part of a broader probe into staff recruitment practices at the institution.