Makerere University has lifted the suspension of Dr Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi, the chairperson of Makerere University Academic Staff Association (Muasa). This follows a consent judgement before High court judge Lydia Mugambe on Wednesday.
Dr Kamunyu had sued Makerere and the vice-chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe for the suspension, saying it was illegal. Dr Muhammad Kiggundu Musoke, Makerere's manager communication and international relations said that lifting the suspension was done in the spirit of dialogue.
Kiggundu, however, says that Kamunyu is required to subject himself to the internal disciplinary process before the appointments board of the university.
“As part of the consent judgement, the suspension of Dr Muhwezi has been lifted and he (Dr Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi) shall submit to the internal disciplinary processes before the appointments board,” Dr Kiggundu said.
According to the consent judgement, the appointments board of the university has also been tasked to adhere to principles of natural justice, fairness and equity. The judgement was signed by Hudson Musoke, a lawyer in the directorate of legal affairs on behalf of the university and Felix Ampaire, Kamunyu’s lawyer.
Kamunyu was suspended on January 17, 2019, after the university accused him of inciting staff into indiscipline acts. He was suspended alongside other staff association leaders Benet Magara and Joseph Kalema, both leaders of the Makerere Administrative Staff Association (Masa).
The suspension prompted the joint staff associations of administrative, academic and support staff to go on strike, which affected operations of the university for more than a month.
However, the strike was called off after assurances by the university council, a supreme governing body that it would handle the staff-management issues in a month’s time.