KAMPALA-The Inspector General of Government, Justice Irene Mulyagonja has advised government to revisit the original concept of having Kyambogo University converted into a federal University with constituent colleges, to put emphasis back on technical skills rather than largely conducting teaching alone.
Justice Mulyagonja in the first volume of three volumes of the report of investigations into Kyambogo problems, also called for disciplinary action against top university officials including university secretary Sam Akorimo and the Academic Registrar Rose Bwire who she accused of incompetence and negligence of duty.
The IGG further recommends the dismissal of many other academic staff on various grounds notably, altering student marks and eliciting sex for marks from students.
Kyambogo University was formed in 2003 after the merger of Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo (UPK), Uganda National Institute of Special Education (UNISE) and Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK).
“But right from the merger, the institution developed a toxic culture that is best exemplified by a mentality of ‘Us vs Them’, the report reads.
Whatever the good intentions were, the results have been protracted staff and student strikes, maladministration, decadence in governance, corruption, factors, which all combined”, the report released yesterday in Parliament says, are contributing immensely to the decline in the academic potency of the institution.
“The university does not produce skilled technicians yet there is a dearth of all categories of technicians that were produced by three institutions in the past, they were merged,” the report says.
Revisiting the concept, the ombudsman, suggested will help to rejuvenate the core characteristics of the three merged institutions (ITEK, UPK and UNISE) with a view to emphasising the teaching of practical courses in science and technology, and research in those areas.
“The atmosphere is always emotionally charged with staff mistrusting the leaders and seeking to protect their jobs. There is a constant battle for the limited resources, with staff members meeting their own needs at the expense of development of the institution and delivery of the needs of students,” the report reads in part.
This, it adds: “has been the cause of the numerous strikes staged by staff in the institution. All Vice Chancellors have been subjected to blame for the shortcomings of the institution.”
The IGG also observes there has been limited or no effort to address the structural or systemic problems that are manifested by the absence of real institutional growth, though there exists a large number of studies and investigations that have been carried out by consultants to try and resolve problems in the institution.
Change of plan
The 141-page report notes there was deviation from the original concept of the merger of the three institutions: UPK, UNISE and ITEK.
While the original concept was to merge the three institutions and form a greater polytechnic that would specialise in advancing professionalism in science, technology and teacher education embracing the three institutions as constituent colleges, which would retain the special characteristics and core competences of the former institutions, the original idea was abandoned by the Education ministry.
“The IGG concluded that it was the abandonment of this original concept that contributed to the management crisis that later paralysed the university,” the IGG noted. Similarly, there was also absence of an implementation strategy for merging the three institutions and the integration of staff into the new structure.
“Although a committee was established to give guidance on the strategy for the merger and did so (Tusubira Committee), its recommendations were not implemented by the MOE. This resulted in both short and long term effects that continue to bedevil the university today.”
On top of inadequate funding to implement the intentions of the framers of the merger, the ombudsman also established that the weakness in the law, the 2003 University of Other Tertiary Institutions Act, also complicated the merger especially in as far as it related to integration of staff from the three institutions into the University.
For example, the Act rendered it illegal to carry out any restructuring of the three intuitions to come up with a uniform structure for it provided for the automatic transfer of staff from each of the three institutions to the university.
Some staff, the report says, exploited weaknesses in the Governing Council, to make it act in a subjective and unprofessional manner.
The report also recommends: “An independent organisational development assessment of Kyambogo should be carried out in order to establish its weaknesses and strengths, as well as it vision and mission with a view to formulating the new strategic direction for the institution...”
Releasing the report yesterday, Justice Mulyagonja pointed out that: “The current state of Kyambogo University is not about mismanagement by a single individual. Neither is it solely about corruption among the members of staff or the top managers of the institution.”
Her report points out that unethical and negligent behaviour by university’s leader’s fomented bitterness in the university community, which precipitated unrest and revolt against all forms of governance.
Decline in quality of education
From interviews with various professors such as former Makerere University VC Venansius Baryamureeba, and the current VC, Prof Ddumba Ssentamu, the report concluded that Kyambogo had lost the direction of academic purpose.
Since universities are graded by published research usually by PhD holders among other things, Prof Ddumba for example, argued, there was no meaningful research being conducted at Kyambogo.
However, in a statement about the challenges of managing the institution, current VC of Kyambogo Eli Katunguka acknowledged that the institution has very low academic staffing levels, with the lowest compared to the student population.
He said out of 846 established positions, only 353 were filled. The establishment (of 846) positions was anticipated to cover the student population in 2004, which has since doubled. With a total of 2,351 positions, only 994 are filled and 1,357 are vacant.
The IGG noted Prof Ndiege exercised undue influence in the process of procuring buses and purchased of substandard buses. He also ignored procurement procedures in the purchase of a television set and accessories for his office.
He also exercised undue influence and flouted procurement procedures in the purchase of furniture for his office.
The IGG’s report also said the university secretary, Mr Sam Akorimo, should be subjected to disciplinary proceedings for handling the university master plan procurement negligently, resulting in a cost increase of 300m caused by an arithmetic error.
He also neglected, failed or refused to dispose of many unserviceable vehicles and machinery, causing loss to the university because they were being vandalised.
This is the second investigation conducted by the IGG into the state of affairs of Kyambogo University. In 2007, the then IGG Justice Faith Mwondha conducted a probe into the apparitions bedeviling Kyambogo but her recommendations were not worked on by the 8th Parliament.
A Parliamentary ad hoc committee on Kyambogo, Police and Auditor General, have similarly carried out investigations in subsequent years but their reports went unnoticed.
In November last year, parliament recommended that the IGG commences an in-depth investigation into the offices of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs, Academic Registrar, Procurement and Disposal Unit, Estates Department, university secretary and the director of human resources.
Parliament also called for investigations into alleged corrupt practices and mismanagement.
Other staff to be dismissed
The IGG also recommends the dismissal of Mr Mukiza Napthali for holding two full time jobs, and the reprimanding of Ms Hellen Tanga Akumu for appointing Mr Ismail Kabujani Byansi, who had been suspended from his job.
Mr Richard Muhanguzi, the senior procurement officer should be subjected to disciplinary proceedings for neglect of his duty. Mr Charles Ndawula should be reprimanded for the negligence displayed during of disposal of assets.
Human Resource
The appointments board should expedite the disciplinary proceedings against Mr Ismail Kabujani Byansi for uttering false documents.
Dr Tumwesigye Godfrey, the directorhuman resource should be warned for appointing six members of staff who were re-graded to Senior Accounts Assistants without the authority. Ms Viviene Nuwagaba (should be submitted to the Appointments Board and disciplined for deliberately altering marks for the benefit of some students.
Mr Ham Mungyereza, the university bursar, should be submitted to the appointments board for disciplinary action for their failure to correctly calculate acting allowances.
Financial management
The IGG directed deputy VC Prof Opuda Asibo to refund shs34m, overpaid allowances. Others to refund money include Ms Mildred Tibananuka Shs1.6m, Ms Hellen Tanga Shs2.5m, Ms Anne Mugerwa, Shs2.6m.