Embattled Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) Prof. Mahmood Mamdani told the institution’s Appointments Board that Dr Stella Nyanzi, a senior research fellow must leave or he resigns in protest.
Dr Nyanzi on Monday morning undressed outside the office of the director of the MISR after she was evicted from, and locked out of, her office for reportedly refusing to teach on a PhD programme.
While speaking to NBS TV on Wednesday, Prof. Mamdani claimed the Vice-Chancellor Prof John Dumba Ssentamu is Dr. Nyanzi’s uncle and is part of a larger group “running a web of intrigue” that wants to eject him from the institution.
“I was told nobody would deal with Dr Nyanzi because she is the niece of the Vice Chancellor but Unless Stella is out of Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), I will not apply for a new contract. I have until the end of June. My contract expired in March 2015. The university then extended my contract by three months, then by three months & now six months,” Prof. Mamdani swore.
Professor Ssentamu had on Tuesday said a committee will be set up to investigate the incident and the different accusations Dr. Nyanzi has leveled against Prof. Mamdani.
“Prof. Ddumba Ssentamu can’t appoint a committee to probe MISR because it will have to investigate him as well. This is not a fight between two individuals and I want the public to know that he lacks the moral authority and objectivity to set up and provide oversight for such a committee. He is partisan and has a clear conflict of interest due to his close family relationship with Dr Stella Nyanzi,” Prof Mamdani added.
He also denied ever giving any free space to his filmmaker wife Mira Nair, insisting that her company had to pay $900 per meter in rent and had to renovate the space as well.
