Ruhindi North Member of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has scoffed at Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, who lost the Makerere University Vice Chancellor race, saying he is not fit to run Uganda’s most prestigious institution of higher learning.
Mr. Tayebwa, who doubles as Makerere University Council Member, was reacting to an earlier accusation by Prof. Baryamureeba, who claimed that the former had played a big role in his failure to become the VC.
“How could he say that I influenced the process when I don’t sit on the search committee and Senate? How can he ridicule Council members who are of high integrity?” Tayebwa wondered.
Tayebwa acknowledged his support for Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the eventual winner of the race, saying Nawangwe stood with Makerere university “unlike Baryamureeba who after serving as Vice Chancellor went away to start another university.”
“When he approached me for support, I told him the reason why I didn’t support him was because he left Makerere and started a university of his with own and even went away with university staff whom Makerere had spent much on training,” he added.
After losing the Vice Chancellorship Prof. Barya started the Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU).
Meanwhile, Prof. Baryamureeba, who was among the three candidates that applied for the Vice Chancellor, now alleges that he has ‘overwhelming evidence’ to show that the search committee report that was used as a basis for the Senate and Council decisions to have Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe elected as the Vice Chancellor designate ‘is a total sham’.
I therefore, shall never recognise Prof. Nawangwe as Vice Chancellor elect and later as Vice Chancellor of Makerere University,” he said.
Makerere University Council on Thursday, June 29 voted Professor Nawangwe to become the new Makerere University Vice Chancellor (VC).
In the University Council Prof Nawangwe garnered 16 votes followed by Professor Baryamureeba with four votes and Professor Edward Kasujja Kirumira with two.
“The main architect of this scam outside the search committee has been Honourable Thomas Tayebwa, a member of Council with vested personal interests in Makerere University who has been misusing the name of the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports to misinform members of the search committee, Council and other stakeholders of Makerere University,” Prof. Baryamureeba claimed.
But in response Mr. Tayebwa said: “I advise him to go and concentrate at his university and I say this with respect because he is my friend and let him settle at teaching because he can’t be a manager.”
