A section of staff at Kyambogo University are advancing a move to have leaders who have a strong foundational background.
The staff say the university council, which is the supreme governing body of the university has previously created recruitment guidelines that disfavor staff, and favor those from other institutions.
This, they say, has created disharmony and lack of confidence among staff who have previously started their professional careers from Kyambogo University.
Rev. Dr. Grace Lubaale, the newly elected academic staff association’s representative to the Kyambogo University Council discloses that the university appointments board has been putting across adverts for senior management positions that tend to exclude Kyambogo University staff.
He argues that majority members of the university’s senior management are all from outside, which he says has its shortcomings as they lack a grasp of the university philosophical background.
According to Dr. Lubaale, the Vice Chancellor Professor Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya was head-hunted from Makerere University and all his deputies. He observes that Professor Maria Musoke, the Kyambogo Deputy VC in charge of Academic affairs is also from Makerere University. He also says Fabian Nabugomu, the Deputy VC for Finance and Administration is also from UCU.
Dr. Lubaale says he will advocate for a review of the requirements for some of the administrative positions in order to allow chance for staff within Kyambogo to be able to compete for them.
Currently, for one to be a Vice Chancellor at Kyambogo, you are required to be between 45-70 years of age. One is also expected to have eight years of experience serving in senior management position such as Dean or Principal.
But Dr. Lubaale says the current requirements only favor candidates who come from outside Kyambogo University.
“It is true that the jobs were advertised and these people competed and they got the jobs. But they are from outside. It is also true that they have impacted both positively and negatively,” Dr. Lubaale observes.
Adding that; “Although they come with new and fresh ideas, they don’t understand the philosophy and mission of this university. And part of the problems this university is having is having people from outside who don’t understand its philosophy and its foundational background.”
Kyambogo University council guidelines for one to be Vice Chancellor indicates that one should be at a rank of a Professor or an Associate Professor, with 8 years of management experience and be between 45-70 years.
But Dr. Lubaale says he will advance revisions in the current guidelines once the new council’s term of office resumes.
Dr. Alexander Paul Isiko, the out-going KYUASA representative to Council says the attitudes of university managers who come from other institutions are largely biased.
He says a person who is selected from within Kyambogo university is likely to manage well since they know the issues at the institution.
Dr. Robert Ojambo, a Senior Lecturer at Kyambogo University’s Department of History and Political Science says there is a need to encourage and motivate staff to work hard and become part of management.
“We need our homegrown leaders. We need a bursar who has grown from this place who understands it, we need a University Secretary who has grown through systems. Why should we be picking people from local government to come and be our University Secretaries here. I think it is not right. Because even local governments operate differently from how a university does its things,” Dr. Ojambo says.
Dr. OJambo, who also represents academic staff on the governing body –council, argues that there is a general feeling of concern among staff at Kyambogo over ‘imported’ staff who become senior members of management.
Katunguka has been Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University since February 2014. His term of office is expected to come to a close next year.
