By Kabuye Ronald
The Anti-Corruption Court has charged and remanded former Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Principal, Prof. Waswa Balunywa, to Luzira Prison over allegations of illegal staff recruitment at the institution.
Prof. Balunywa, 69, appeared before Chief Magistrate Racheal Nakyazze on Tuesday after failing to respond to an earlier court summons. He faces charges related to irregular hiring practices during his time at MUBS.
He is jointly charged with Jacqueline Namaganda, the former Acting Human Resource Director at MUBS and current Chief Quality Assurance Officer. Namaganda is accused of failing to verify the qualifications of the recruited staff. She was granted bail of Shs 4 million last week.
According to the charge sheet, between February and April 2023, the two are alleged to have abused their offices by unlawfully appointing James Arike, Nathan Nuwagira, and Nimrod Kakayi as Administrative Assistants, despite their apparent lack of the necessary academic qualifications.
Prosecutors told the court that the illegal appointments imposed undue financial burdens on the government and formed the basis for the corruption charges.
The State also revealed an ongoing investigation into a broader case involving Prof. Balunywa, who is accused of irregularly recruiting over 100 academic staff, 17 administrative officers, and 69 support staff members without the required approval from the MUBS Appointments Committee.
Prof. Balunywa denied the charges and applied for bail, presenting four sureties: his brother Muhammad Ngoma, Vice-Chancellor of Kampala International University; Prof. Sudi Nangoli, Managing Director of Uganda Printing and Publishing Association; and his son, Ali Balunywa.
Lead defence counsel Asuman Matovu argued that Prof. Balunywa had fully complied with bail procedures, emphasizing his long service to the country and low flight risk. “He has diligently served Uganda for decades and is not a flight risk. He deserves to be granted bail while the case proceeds,” Matovu said.
However, State Prosecutor Immaculate Agotoku opposed the bail application, citing the gravity of the charges and the potential for the accused to interfere with ongoing investigations.
The court is expected to rule on Prof. Balunywa’s bail application on Friday, September 5.
