Dr. Crispus Kiyonga
The appointment of Dr Crispus Kiyonga as the Makerere University Chancellor is raising concerns from some of the members of the University Council.
Last Saturday, Makerere Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe announced on his X page that President Yoweri Museveni who is a Visitor of the university had appointed Kiyonga, the former ambassador to China as the new chancellor.
Kiyonga is replacing Prof. Ezra Suruma whose tenure expired in December last year.
However, speaking to three members of the University Council all of whom were granted anonymity to speak freely on the matter, the appointment of Kiyonga might be irregular because the rules were flouted. “His name was forwarded to us to consider him as the new chancellor after the President rejected the two nominees, we had forwarded him,” one member of the Council said.
According to the University and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, the law that regulates higher institutions of learning in Uganda, the President who is the Visitor of all public universities appoints the chancellor on the recommendation of the University Council and not the other way around.
“There shall be a Chancellor for each Public University who shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the University Council,” section 30(1) of the Act reads.
However, all three Council members told our reporter separately that Kiyonga was never their recommendation.
The two nominees that the Council recommended were Prof. William Bazeyo, the former acting Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration and Dr. Charles Wana-Etyem, the immediate former chairman of the University Council.
President Museveni rejected both choices.
“When the law says the president shall appoint the chancellor on the recommendation of the Council, it simply means that any appointment that doesn’t follow that rule is null and void,” said Ibrahim Kivumbi Kaboggoza, a managing partner at Kivumbi Madina Kikomeko Advocates and Solicitors. He however was quick to add that the president might have recommended Kiyonga to the University Council which in turn also recommended him to him and hence his appointment.
“Well, this is Uganda, anything is possible,” Kivumbi said. He wondered whether there is any institution in Uganda that can oppose a suggestion of the president. “Can the President tell the University Council to appoint anybody and they refuse? If anybody thinks that is possible then they believe too much,” Kivumbi said. However, even after they accepted the president’s recommendation, several Council members had reservations about his suitability.
“We were told to consider Dr Kiyonga although many of us had reservations about him. We were told he still wants to contest in 2026 as a member of parliament in Kasese and we don’t think a chancellor of Makerere University should engage in such things,” a Council member told our reporter.
Another member told us that there was a sharp dispute among Council members on the two nominees they had sent to Museveni.
Some felt Bazeyo was too damaged to lead the university where he had literary been hounded out less than three years ago. Yet others also doubted the capacity of Wana-Etyem, who during his tenure, Makerere witnessed numerous strikes which at one point led to the closure of the university for months.
“When they appointed Kiyonga although we have issues with him, there was relief in both camps that at least none of the two was appointed,” a council member told this reporter.
Last week following the appointment of Kiyonga, we reported that the University Council had nominated Bazeyo and Wana-Etyem. However, Bazeeyo’s recommendation faced a lot of resistance from the University’s alumni, and some staff argued that he was not fit for the position that had been vacant since December last year.
They accused him of holding a false PhD and questioned how a person who owns a fraudulent academic qualification would issue legitimate degrees to students. Bazeyo resigned as the acting deputy vice chancellor in charge of finance and administration and withdrew his candidature for the same position on the same allegations of doubted academic qualification.
Dr. Kiyonga becomes the fourth non-head-of-state chancellor to lead Makerere University. Suruma, who led the University for the last eight years had taken over from Prof. George Mondo Kagonyera, who served for two terms from 23rd October 2007 to 23rd October 2015. Before Kagonyera, it was only Prof. Apollo Nsibambi who was the first non-head of state to serve as Makerere University Chancellor between 2003-2007 this followed the passing of the University and Other Tertiary Institutions Act that instead created the position of visitor which goes to the head of state.
Dr. Kiyonga has had a long career in public service, holding various ministerial positions since 1980, including Minister of Health, Minister of Defense, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Internal Affairs. His last posting in government was as Uganda’s ambassador to China.
-URN
