Rot at MISR
Add star Vincent Nuwagaba<vnuwagaba@gmail.com> Tue, May 3, 2016 at 8:51 PM
To: brucekabaasa <brucekabaasa@yahoo.com>
Reply | Reply to all | Forward | Print | Delete | Show original
Chairman,
This should give you a hint on what takes place at MISR.
Noosim Naimaisiah
April 20 at 2:36pm · Kampala ·
Prof. MAMDANI sent a press release on the unfolding events at MISR: http://www.misr.mak.ac.ug/…/why-management-makerere-institu…
Wednesday 20th April 2016
A Response To Professor Mamdani’s Press Release
Firstly, I would like to state firmly that I, along with a number of other students are in full support of saving the PhD program at MISR, which we agree is in peril. The terms of this salvation though, have to be seriously understood given the academic and political conditions at MISR. Given the serious nature of allegations and counter allegations, this letter, along with all other letters, petitions and signatures from both sides of the debate will be put online, just as Prof. Mamdani has done, so that our positions are clear, and injustice can be defined and judged on this scale.
I write in response to Professor’s Mamdani’s press release yesterday that sought to justify the uncooperative response of the management at MISR on the matter of an investigation into MISR sanctioned by the
Vice Chancellor (Prof. Ddumba Ssentamu) of Makerere University.
Professor Mamdani claims that the Vice Chancellor lacks the moral authority and objectivity to set up a committee to investigate MISR for a number of reasons. The first is because of Prof. Ssentamu’s close family relations with Dr. Stella Nyanzi. Aside from the fact that this relation has clearly not been helpful at all to Dr. Nyanzi, as she has laid the complaints of her contract and her stand off with Prof. Mamdani to no avail for over four years now, it has also not been helpful to the allegedly ‘insubordinate’ (to quote Prof. Mamdani)
graduate students at MISR. It was at Stella’s protest at MISR that I first saw the Vice Chancellor. This is also the case with some of my colleagues. The only one who has gone to seek redress at his office on
the discriminatory terms of the withdrawal of his scholarship has not had his case acted on, and remains a private student. In fact, the process of trying to get a hearing from the higher bodies at Makerere
has become next to impossible. The matter of wrongful academic evictions was constantly deferred back to the MISR management, against whom these very students were making an appeal. I will elaborate
further on the process that led to the loss of scholarship of three students with email evidence to this effect.
However, I would like us to look closely at the issue of ‘moral authority and objectivity’ and how it operates at MISR. I will cite a few cases to exemplify this. The first one is the fact that the Assistant Director of Finance and Administration at MISR, Dr. James Ocita, is in the advisory committee of a 5th year student who is his brother. This is according to a paper given to the 5th years in a meeting with Prof. Mamdani and Dr. Lynn Ossome and a subsequent email dated 29th February 2016 from the Phd Administrator. Now, Prof. Mamdani was fully aware of this relationship, but chose (our supervisors are chosen for us, without discussion or negotiation) to have the Assistant Director supervise his own brother. The second is the kinship relation between the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Okello Ogwang with the Assistant Director, Dr. James Ocita and his brother, a 5th year student at MISR. There not only exists a kinship relation, but Prof. Okello Ogwang remains a Research Fellow at MISR, as well as a close friend to the director. The effect of this relationship was made evident to a devastating effect. On February 4 2016, a number of students wrote to the DVC, Prof. Ogwang, to ask that a certain student at MISR, Sabatho Nyamsenda, be restrained for his political speech at MISR. All this is available on email. The response from the DVC was immediate. In less than 24 hours, on Feb 5 2016, he had written to Prof. Mamdani, the director, copied to the student as
well as CHUSS (College of Humanities and Social Sciences) to enquire on the matter and ask what Prof. Mamdani was doing about this student who needed to be restrained! On the 8th of February, 2016, a group of students sent a detailed petition to the DVC office and copied the Director and MISR and CHUSS on the political problems at MISR. To date, there has been NO RESPONSE from the DVC’s office! If these are
not cases of operating nepotism and impunity, then pray, tell me, what is? Of course, we also know that Dr. James Ocita is in a relationship with one of the students at MISR and also that Prof. Mamdani rented
out a section of MISR buildings to Maisha Film Lab, a company owned by his own wife! If I have fabricated any of these relationships, then please correct me.
One of the many cases, leading to political tension at MISR was the loss of scholarship of three students at MISR. Two of these students are supposed to be in their 4th year, doing field work, and one is in his second year, doing course work but they lost their scholarships in January 2016. This decision was made by an Academic Board where the attendant members and the teaching staff were new at MISR. They had only arrived at MISR in January 2016. As such, they could not possibly know, at that time, what the standard of work at MISR was. So, those papers of those whose scholarships were revoked were poor, in comparison to what other papers? How can a newly constituted academic board be responsible for making decision of such serious a nature without a full awareness of what the standard of academic work at MISR is, which would among other things, include being acquainted with the works of a big section of students? It came to light however through email correspondence on January 19 2016, that though the student representative at MISR at the time was not allowed to sit in the meetings of academic matters concerning the aforementioned students, one of the students at MISR was very aware of the on-goings of the Academic board, as he told us in an email. This happened, despite the fact that Makerere regulations support student representation at every level of decision making. Therefore, the student representative at MISR was illegitimately kept out of these meetings, whilst another student was privy to the on-goings of this very board!
The reasons given for the dismissal of these students was that the quality of their work was poor and that there was no linguist in the case of one of the students and therefore no one with the requisite skills to supervise his work. However, it is important to note firstly, that these students were working on their proposals without a supervisor! The email correspondence between these students and Prof.Mamdani clearly indicates at the very least, a lack of support, on his part for these students. Secondly, in the case of lack of linguistic expertize, it is pertinent for it to be categorically stated, that this student applied to MISR with this very same research topic. Why then, was he admitted to the program? There has never been any teacher with linguistic skills, and the guidelines on supervision at Makerere states that it should be possible for students to have supervisors outside of MISR. However, the rules operate very differently at MISR.
We are not allowed to seek supervision elsewhere, which is devastating because all the teachers in our first, second and third year have left, and aside from Dr. Florence Ebila who was appointed last year and the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Okello Ogwang, whose courses have been taken up by Dr. James Ocita, everybody else (Dr. Adam Branch, Dr. Pamela Khanakwa, Dr. Giuliano Martinielo, Dr. George Bob-Milliar, Dr. Antonio Thomas, Dr. Anneeth Kaur Hundle, Dr. Mauel Schwabb) has left in seriously acrimonious circumstances with Prof. Mamdani. Given how small the teaching staff at MISR is and how hostile
the environment has become for most of the teachers who chose to leave, along with the number of frustrated students who have fewer choices, we ask, what is to be of us? When people speak about saving
the MISR program, is it in negation of all the other lives of teachers and students that have been relegated to its backwaters, if not completely eradicated from MISR? For I write, as a most deeply concerned student, as someone who most seriously upholds the tenets of the existence of MISR and as someone, among many others, who wants to save MISR from the reign of fear that prevails. I have no vested interest in the MISR program failing (It would be at a great cost to me, as I am in my 5th year!) as well as to everyone else who has invested their energy, their intellect, their time, and their passion to be here. What I am saying though is that I will not be quiet in the face of this continuous injustice and that I SUPPORT MISR WITHOUT
INJUSTICE AND FEAR.
Allow me also, to speak of the context of the political conditions at MISR. Prof. Mamdani has accused Dr. Nyanzi of vandalization (throwing of paint on the doors and outside walls of HIS office), and her alleged insults and intimidating MISR staff and students in the course of her protest on Monday. Firstly, we all have the right to protest against what we deem to be unjust. When people anywhere protest, they use means that will bring attention to their cause, as they are always the weaker ones. Take the case of the strikes at Makerere, and more significantly, the Rhodes Must Fall movement in South Africa. Prof. Mamdani, are you condemning Dr. Nyanzi, as well as the Rhodes Must Fall movement for occupation of public office, temporarily defacing what they see as the source of their oppression like the Rhodes Statue, or your office?
Also, we were also made aware of the fact that under your direct order, the office of the erstwhile accountant at MISR, Mr. Perez, was BROKEN INTO when he was not there, and many things taken, without a court order, or warrant! How can this action legally be explained?
With regard to politics at MISR, one of the most critical things I would like to state is on the continuous intimidation of students at MISR. For the students who were here in 2014, you will recall that, at a meeting where Prof. Mamdani was responding to a petition we had written to him, when I spoke against his responses, I was asked to SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN! Subsequently, emails were circulated where I was
called a prostitute who sleeps with teachers and students and I was continuously publicly scorned and harassed.
He has to date, never said anything on this issue, even though he was copied on all these emails.
When the president of the student union at MISR (who has also been very politically active) received an SSRC award, among 6 other candidates at MISR, Prof. Mamdani wrote to SSRC to say that the student has not completed his bibliography and consequently not got an approval to proceed with his comprehensive exams. In a show of open bias, Prof. Mamdani gave a glowing letter of recommendation to a student (who was also a recipient of the SSRC grant in the same class, who at the time had also not got an approval to proceed with his Comprehensive Exams.
After this incident, this student leader was asked to apologize in writing, and under serious pressure and intimidation from both Prof. Mamdani and Dr. Lyn Ossome, he did. Prof. Mamdani categorically told
him to his face that he is an adult and that he should know that there are consequences to his political actions! After this Dr. Lyn Ossome continued to pester this very student for an amendment of the apology, in effect, to apologize for all his political action at MISR. At this point, the student leader refused to do this! Not surprisingly, he was told that he has to re-write his whole bibliography and debates leading up to his comprehensive exams, even though, even a cursory reading of the available papers of the students in his class sent on email show clearly that his paper was in very good academic standing in comparison to others, that have been approved.
The third case is that of a student (Sabatho Nyamsenda) who has been politically active in the affairs of the student union as well as against the instances of injustice at MISR. There is a long thread of emails to this effect from January 2016, along with his other emails from 2014, which can be made available on request. The emails that he sent against the students who he said were abating injustice were used as the context for a letter that called him to a disciplinary hearing at MISR. You will note, of course, that another student, in August 2014, had written a letter to ONLY UGANDAN STUDENTS, calling all the NON-UGANDAN STUDENTS WOLVES and asking the Ugandan students to unite against them. If this is not a case of xenophobic provocation, then tell me, what is? However, to date, nothing has been said to this student, and in fact, he continues to enjoy high affiliations with the MISR academic board, as stated in his email.
Instead, on 8 February 2016, Sabatho was accused of 14 CRIMES emanating from his political involvement and public discussion through email with the MISR community. He was asked to respond IN WRITING to
these charges IN LESS THAN 24 hours, to plead GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY IN WRITING and informed that if he does not respond within this time he shall be rendered ‘liable for indefinite suspension from the university’. Not even in a court of law where someone is suspected of committing the most heinous of crimes is this kind of burden of proof placed on the suspect, or even, are the very same people who accuse
you the same ones who will convict you. Dr. Ossome wrote this letter as the chair of the Examination Irregularity and Appeals Committee (one that has no right to hold a disciplinary hearing) was to sit in
the hearing too! Because the student made a legal appeal, this prosecution was halted for a time.
Consequently, Prof. Mamdani and Dr. Lyn Ossome have also called Sabatho Nyamsenda to his office under the guise of an academic meeting (again, there are emails to this effect) and asked him to write a letter of apology, otherwise his job as a lecturer at Daresalaam university will be at stake, and that he will have a disciplinary hearing otherwise.
These are only a few of the cases, and I hope more students will be able to tell their story on the subjugation they have endured at MISR. What have we to say about the actions taken by this committee? What about the academic board? Are these not pure cases of bias, intimidation, discrimination and victimization of students? These are part of the reasons why there have to be investigations at MISR, on the moral authority and objectivity of Prof. Mamdani as well as his administrative assistants. I do agree with Prof. Mamdani, that no respecting academic will want to come to MISR if this situation continues, neither will any self respecting student want to apply to MISR when the conditions for your academic performance are based on your allegiance to Prof. Mamdani, and when injustice is the order of academic and consequently political operation.
What about the donors? This is a matter of great concern to many of the students whose livelihood through their scholarships is based on the continuous contribution of the donors. It would be pertinent at this point to hear from the donors, and their affiliation and contribution to the programme. Are these donations based on the person of Prof. Mamdani? Do they condone all his actions of injustice?
Typical to the administrative style of Prof. Mamdani as indicated on the last paragraph of his press release, he prescribes the approach that the university should take in reaction to Dr. Nyanzi, to MISR and to the students. Prof. Mamdani, it is not your prerogative to give the terms of the proceedings of a case that you are involved in. Such has been your practice at MISR, but this should cease.
The practice in public administration is that if there are genuine complaints of a public nature, an office bearer should step aside as investigations proceed. The action of stepping aside is fundamental to anti-prejudicial practice of public investigations. To avoid intimidation and distortion of evidence, we therefore ask that Prof.
Mamdani steps aside as investigations continue at MISR. We also ask that the offices that have shown bias in adjudicating MISR student cases, like that of the DVC Academic Affairs, and that of the Deputy Principal at CHUSS (who has reverted all cases of student dismissal back the Director of MISR, Prof. Mamdani) not be part of the committee that investigates the problems at MISR.
Prof. Mamdani clearly stated in his address to students in a meeting that the university is NOT A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION, but rather, a FUEDAL ONE. This public response was aired in a meeting where he was responding to a petition students had written to him in 2015, demanding representation on decision making boards at MISR. Does Makerere University agree with this approach? Do the donors uphold this approach? Do academics in the university and the public in general agree to this idea of the political structure of the university?
I therefore request, that an investigation into the problems at MISR by an unbiased team should continue, under the terms of that committee, and not those of Prof. Mamdani.
Long live MISR, long live Makerere University, and Long Live Democracy!
Aluta Continua!
Noosim Naimasiah
MISR student 5th year
Why the Management of Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR)
will not Cooperate with the...
The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. John Ddumba
Ssentamu, yesterday circulated a memo on the Makerere University
webmail setting up an Investigation Committee into MISR.
misr.mak.ac.ug
Add star Vincent Nuwagaba<vnuwagaba@gmail.com> Tue, May 3, 2016 at 8:51 PM
To: brucekabaasa <brucekabaasa@yahoo.com>
Reply | Reply to all | Forward | Print | Delete | Show original
Chairman,
This should give you a hint on what takes place at MISR.
Noosim Naimaisiah
April 20 at 2:36pm · Kampala ·
Prof. MAMDANI sent a press release on the unfolding events at MISR: http://www.misr.mak.ac.ug/…/why-management-makerere-institu…
Wednesday 20th April 2016
A Response To Professor Mamdani’s Press Release
Firstly, I would like to state firmly that I, along with a number of other students are in full support of saving the PhD program at MISR, which we agree is in peril. The terms of this salvation though, have to be seriously understood given the academic and political conditions at MISR. Given the serious nature of allegations and counter allegations, this letter, along with all other letters, petitions and signatures from both sides of the debate will be put online, just as Prof. Mamdani has done, so that our positions are clear, and injustice can be defined and judged on this scale.
I write in response to Professor’s Mamdani’s press release yesterday that sought to justify the uncooperative response of the management at MISR on the matter of an investigation into MISR sanctioned by the
Vice Chancellor (Prof. Ddumba Ssentamu) of Makerere University.
Professor Mamdani claims that the Vice Chancellor lacks the moral authority and objectivity to set up a committee to investigate MISR for a number of reasons. The first is because of Prof. Ssentamu’s close family relations with Dr. Stella Nyanzi. Aside from the fact that this relation has clearly not been helpful at all to Dr. Nyanzi, as she has laid the complaints of her contract and her stand off with Prof. Mamdani to no avail for over four years now, it has also not been helpful to the allegedly ‘insubordinate’ (to quote Prof. Mamdani)
graduate students at MISR. It was at Stella’s protest at MISR that I first saw the Vice Chancellor. This is also the case with some of my colleagues. The only one who has gone to seek redress at his office on
the discriminatory terms of the withdrawal of his scholarship has not had his case acted on, and remains a private student. In fact, the process of trying to get a hearing from the higher bodies at Makerere
has become next to impossible. The matter of wrongful academic evictions was constantly deferred back to the MISR management, against whom these very students were making an appeal. I will elaborate
further on the process that led to the loss of scholarship of three students with email evidence to this effect.
However, I would like us to look closely at the issue of ‘moral authority and objectivity’ and how it operates at MISR. I will cite a few cases to exemplify this. The first one is the fact that the Assistant Director of Finance and Administration at MISR, Dr. James Ocita, is in the advisory committee of a 5th year student who is his brother. This is according to a paper given to the 5th years in a meeting with Prof. Mamdani and Dr. Lynn Ossome and a subsequent email dated 29th February 2016 from the Phd Administrator. Now, Prof. Mamdani was fully aware of this relationship, but chose (our supervisors are chosen for us, without discussion or negotiation) to have the Assistant Director supervise his own brother. The second is the kinship relation between the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Okello Ogwang with the Assistant Director, Dr. James Ocita and his brother, a 5th year student at MISR. There not only exists a kinship relation, but Prof. Okello Ogwang remains a Research Fellow at MISR, as well as a close friend to the director. The effect of this relationship was made evident to a devastating effect. On February 4 2016, a number of students wrote to the DVC, Prof. Ogwang, to ask that a certain student at MISR, Sabatho Nyamsenda, be restrained for his political speech at MISR. All this is available on email. The response from the DVC was immediate. In less than 24 hours, on Feb 5 2016, he had written to Prof. Mamdani, the director, copied to the student as
well as CHUSS (College of Humanities and Social Sciences) to enquire on the matter and ask what Prof. Mamdani was doing about this student who needed to be restrained! On the 8th of February, 2016, a group of students sent a detailed petition to the DVC office and copied the Director and MISR and CHUSS on the political problems at MISR. To date, there has been NO RESPONSE from the DVC’s office! If these are
not cases of operating nepotism and impunity, then pray, tell me, what is? Of course, we also know that Dr. James Ocita is in a relationship with one of the students at MISR and also that Prof. Mamdani rented
out a section of MISR buildings to Maisha Film Lab, a company owned by his own wife! If I have fabricated any of these relationships, then please correct me.
One of the many cases, leading to political tension at MISR was the loss of scholarship of three students at MISR. Two of these students are supposed to be in their 4th year, doing field work, and one is in his second year, doing course work but they lost their scholarships in January 2016. This decision was made by an Academic Board where the attendant members and the teaching staff were new at MISR. They had only arrived at MISR in January 2016. As such, they could not possibly know, at that time, what the standard of work at MISR was. So, those papers of those whose scholarships were revoked were poor, in comparison to what other papers? How can a newly constituted academic board be responsible for making decision of such serious a nature without a full awareness of what the standard of academic work at MISR is, which would among other things, include being acquainted with the works of a big section of students? It came to light however through email correspondence on January 19 2016, that though the student representative at MISR at the time was not allowed to sit in the meetings of academic matters concerning the aforementioned students, one of the students at MISR was very aware of the on-goings of the Academic board, as he told us in an email. This happened, despite the fact that Makerere regulations support student representation at every level of decision making. Therefore, the student representative at MISR was illegitimately kept out of these meetings, whilst another student was privy to the on-goings of this very board!
The reasons given for the dismissal of these students was that the quality of their work was poor and that there was no linguist in the case of one of the students and therefore no one with the requisite skills to supervise his work. However, it is important to note firstly, that these students were working on their proposals without a supervisor! The email correspondence between these students and Prof.Mamdani clearly indicates at the very least, a lack of support, on his part for these students. Secondly, in the case of lack of linguistic expertize, it is pertinent for it to be categorically stated, that this student applied to MISR with this very same research topic. Why then, was he admitted to the program? There has never been any teacher with linguistic skills, and the guidelines on supervision at Makerere states that it should be possible for students to have supervisors outside of MISR. However, the rules operate very differently at MISR.
We are not allowed to seek supervision elsewhere, which is devastating because all the teachers in our first, second and third year have left, and aside from Dr. Florence Ebila who was appointed last year and the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Okello Ogwang, whose courses have been taken up by Dr. James Ocita, everybody else (Dr. Adam Branch, Dr. Pamela Khanakwa, Dr. Giuliano Martinielo, Dr. George Bob-Milliar, Dr. Antonio Thomas, Dr. Anneeth Kaur Hundle, Dr. Mauel Schwabb) has left in seriously acrimonious circumstances with Prof. Mamdani. Given how small the teaching staff at MISR is and how hostile
the environment has become for most of the teachers who chose to leave, along with the number of frustrated students who have fewer choices, we ask, what is to be of us? When people speak about saving
the MISR program, is it in negation of all the other lives of teachers and students that have been relegated to its backwaters, if not completely eradicated from MISR? For I write, as a most deeply concerned student, as someone who most seriously upholds the tenets of the existence of MISR and as someone, among many others, who wants to save MISR from the reign of fear that prevails. I have no vested interest in the MISR program failing (It would be at a great cost to me, as I am in my 5th year!) as well as to everyone else who has invested their energy, their intellect, their time, and their passion to be here. What I am saying though is that I will not be quiet in the face of this continuous injustice and that I SUPPORT MISR WITHOUT
INJUSTICE AND FEAR.
Allow me also, to speak of the context of the political conditions at MISR. Prof. Mamdani has accused Dr. Nyanzi of vandalization (throwing of paint on the doors and outside walls of HIS office), and her alleged insults and intimidating MISR staff and students in the course of her protest on Monday. Firstly, we all have the right to protest against what we deem to be unjust. When people anywhere protest, they use means that will bring attention to their cause, as they are always the weaker ones. Take the case of the strikes at Makerere, and more significantly, the Rhodes Must Fall movement in South Africa. Prof. Mamdani, are you condemning Dr. Nyanzi, as well as the Rhodes Must Fall movement for occupation of public office, temporarily defacing what they see as the source of their oppression like the Rhodes Statue, or your office?
Also, we were also made aware of the fact that under your direct order, the office of the erstwhile accountant at MISR, Mr. Perez, was BROKEN INTO when he was not there, and many things taken, without a court order, or warrant! How can this action legally be explained?
With regard to politics at MISR, one of the most critical things I would like to state is on the continuous intimidation of students at MISR. For the students who were here in 2014, you will recall that, at a meeting where Prof. Mamdani was responding to a petition we had written to him, when I spoke against his responses, I was asked to SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN! Subsequently, emails were circulated where I was
called a prostitute who sleeps with teachers and students and I was continuously publicly scorned and harassed.
He has to date, never said anything on this issue, even though he was copied on all these emails.
When the president of the student union at MISR (who has also been very politically active) received an SSRC award, among 6 other candidates at MISR, Prof. Mamdani wrote to SSRC to say that the student has not completed his bibliography and consequently not got an approval to proceed with his comprehensive exams. In a show of open bias, Prof. Mamdani gave a glowing letter of recommendation to a student (who was also a recipient of the SSRC grant in the same class, who at the time had also not got an approval to proceed with his Comprehensive Exams.
After this incident, this student leader was asked to apologize in writing, and under serious pressure and intimidation from both Prof. Mamdani and Dr. Lyn Ossome, he did. Prof. Mamdani categorically told
him to his face that he is an adult and that he should know that there are consequences to his political actions! After this Dr. Lyn Ossome continued to pester this very student for an amendment of the apology, in effect, to apologize for all his political action at MISR. At this point, the student leader refused to do this! Not surprisingly, he was told that he has to re-write his whole bibliography and debates leading up to his comprehensive exams, even though, even a cursory reading of the available papers of the students in his class sent on email show clearly that his paper was in very good academic standing in comparison to others, that have been approved.
The third case is that of a student (Sabatho Nyamsenda) who has been politically active in the affairs of the student union as well as against the instances of injustice at MISR. There is a long thread of emails to this effect from January 2016, along with his other emails from 2014, which can be made available on request. The emails that he sent against the students who he said were abating injustice were used as the context for a letter that called him to a disciplinary hearing at MISR. You will note, of course, that another student, in August 2014, had written a letter to ONLY UGANDAN STUDENTS, calling all the NON-UGANDAN STUDENTS WOLVES and asking the Ugandan students to unite against them. If this is not a case of xenophobic provocation, then tell me, what is? However, to date, nothing has been said to this student, and in fact, he continues to enjoy high affiliations with the MISR academic board, as stated in his email.
Instead, on 8 February 2016, Sabatho was accused of 14 CRIMES emanating from his political involvement and public discussion through email with the MISR community. He was asked to respond IN WRITING to
these charges IN LESS THAN 24 hours, to plead GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY IN WRITING and informed that if he does not respond within this time he shall be rendered ‘liable for indefinite suspension from the university’. Not even in a court of law where someone is suspected of committing the most heinous of crimes is this kind of burden of proof placed on the suspect, or even, are the very same people who accuse
you the same ones who will convict you. Dr. Ossome wrote this letter as the chair of the Examination Irregularity and Appeals Committee (one that has no right to hold a disciplinary hearing) was to sit in
the hearing too! Because the student made a legal appeal, this prosecution was halted for a time.
Consequently, Prof. Mamdani and Dr. Lyn Ossome have also called Sabatho Nyamsenda to his office under the guise of an academic meeting (again, there are emails to this effect) and asked him to write a letter of apology, otherwise his job as a lecturer at Daresalaam university will be at stake, and that he will have a disciplinary hearing otherwise.
These are only a few of the cases, and I hope more students will be able to tell their story on the subjugation they have endured at MISR. What have we to say about the actions taken by this committee? What about the academic board? Are these not pure cases of bias, intimidation, discrimination and victimization of students? These are part of the reasons why there have to be investigations at MISR, on the moral authority and objectivity of Prof. Mamdani as well as his administrative assistants. I do agree with Prof. Mamdani, that no respecting academic will want to come to MISR if this situation continues, neither will any self respecting student want to apply to MISR when the conditions for your academic performance are based on your allegiance to Prof. Mamdani, and when injustice is the order of academic and consequently political operation.
What about the donors? This is a matter of great concern to many of the students whose livelihood through their scholarships is based on the continuous contribution of the donors. It would be pertinent at this point to hear from the donors, and their affiliation and contribution to the programme. Are these donations based on the person of Prof. Mamdani? Do they condone all his actions of injustice?
Typical to the administrative style of Prof. Mamdani as indicated on the last paragraph of his press release, he prescribes the approach that the university should take in reaction to Dr. Nyanzi, to MISR and to the students. Prof. Mamdani, it is not your prerogative to give the terms of the proceedings of a case that you are involved in. Such has been your practice at MISR, but this should cease.
The practice in public administration is that if there are genuine complaints of a public nature, an office bearer should step aside as investigations proceed. The action of stepping aside is fundamental to anti-prejudicial practice of public investigations. To avoid intimidation and distortion of evidence, we therefore ask that Prof.
Mamdani steps aside as investigations continue at MISR. We also ask that the offices that have shown bias in adjudicating MISR student cases, like that of the DVC Academic Affairs, and that of the Deputy Principal at CHUSS (who has reverted all cases of student dismissal back the Director of MISR, Prof. Mamdani) not be part of the committee that investigates the problems at MISR.
Prof. Mamdani clearly stated in his address to students in a meeting that the university is NOT A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION, but rather, a FUEDAL ONE. This public response was aired in a meeting where he was responding to a petition students had written to him in 2015, demanding representation on decision making boards at MISR. Does Makerere University agree with this approach? Do the donors uphold this approach? Do academics in the university and the public in general agree to this idea of the political structure of the university?
I therefore request, that an investigation into the problems at MISR by an unbiased team should continue, under the terms of that committee, and not those of Prof. Mamdani.
Long live MISR, long live Makerere University, and Long Live Democracy!
Aluta Continua!
Noosim Naimasiah
MISR student 5th year
Why the Management of Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR)
will not Cooperate with the...
The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. John Ddumba
Ssentamu, yesterday circulated a memo on the Makerere University
webmail setting up an Investigation Committee into MISR.
misr.mak.ac.ug
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