Nawangwe warning letters spark outrage among Makerere University students

Warning letters to some learners and nine guild leaders from Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe have sparked outrage among students.

Makerere University guild president Vincent Lubega Nsamba condemned the letters, wondering why Nawangwe “based on hearsay to author dismissal warnings to some members of his leadership without carrying out the due diligence.”

Prof Nawangwe early Thursday admitted authoring the September 10 letters, which he said are aimed at banning any illegal meetings in Uganda’s oldest university.

According to the letters, Prof Nawangwe suggested that his office had learnt about intended anti-fees policy demonstrations planned through a September 9 1am meeting.

“We are simply stopping any meetings till further notice,” he told Monitor, noting that there would be harsh consequences for violating section 8 (9) (a) and (b) of the 2015 University Rules and Regulations.

“As a student leader, you ought to know that this kind of behavior is not acceptable. I hereby serve you the first and final warning against such mischievous behavior,” Prof Nawangwe wrote in the initial letter.

He added: “…and you are advised to adhere to the policy guidelines regulating student conduct while at the University strictly, failure of which may result in further corrective action up to and including dismissal.”

In response, Nsamba said the vice chancellor’s threats provoke unrest amongst students at the public university.

“It is extremely absurd that you issued these letters based on unfounded allegations and hearsay with disregard to rules of natural justice. Your decision contravenes article 42 and 44(c) of the 1995 Ugandan constitution,” he wrote in a September 11 letter.

The guild leader says some of the people targeted with Prof Nawangwe’s letters were not on campus for the meeting cited by the vice chancellor.

“As the law dictates, he who alleges must prove. We call for retraction of these letters until you (Nawangwe) have gathered enough evidence to incriminate these individuals,” Nsamba noted.

He added: “I condemn the unfair treatment these members have been subjected to by treating them guilty before being proven so.” 

This development comes barely a week after students at Kyambogo University demonstrated against the institution’s tuition policy.

Police on Monday arrested 13 Kyambogo University students for participating in a strike against a 50 per cent increment in the fees structure for two schools- Built Environment, and School of Management and Entrepreneurship.