Prof. Balunywa Sent to Luzira as Court Probes Irregular MUBS Recruitments
Former Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Principal, Prof. Waswa Balunywa, has been remanded to Luzira Prison by the Anti-Corruption Court over allegations of abuse of office arising from controversial staff appointments.
Prof. Balunywa, 69, appeared before Chief Magistrate Racheal Nakyazze on Tuesday to respond to charges linked to recruitment of unqualified staff at the Nakawa-based institution. He is accused of authorizing irregular appointments between February and April 2023.
The prosecution alleges that together with Ms. Jacqueline Namaganda, then Acting Human Resource Director at MUBS—now serving as Chief Quality Assurance Officer—the duo cleared the hiring of three Administrative Assistants: James Arike, Nathan Nuwagira, and Nimrod Kakayi. Investigators claim the trio lacked the minimum academic qualifications, yet were placed on the government payroll, causing financial loss.
While Namaganda secured a Shs4 million cash bail last week, Prof. Balunywa’s liberty now hangs in the balance, with court set to rule on his bail application on Friday, September 5.
The state, led by prosecutor Immaculate Agotoku, objected to his release, arguing that the gravity of the charges and the ongoing inquiries could be compromised if he were freed.
Balunywa, through his legal team headed by Asuman Matovu, denied the accusations and maintained that all recruitment procedures were followed. His lawyers argued that the veteran academician had “dedicated decades of service to Uganda” and was not a flight risk.
In support of his bail bid, Balunywa presented four sureties, including his brother Muhammad Ngoma, Vice-Chancellor of Kampala International University; Prof. Sudi Nangoli, Managing Director of the Uganda Printing and Publishing Association; and his son, Ali Balunywa.
Court was further informed that this is not the only case the former principal faces. Another file implicates him in the alleged irregular hiring of over 103 lecturers, 17 administrative officers, and 69 support staff without approval from the official MUBS Appointments Committee.
Prof. Balunywa retired in May 2022 after leading MUBS for more than two decades, a tenure credited with transforming it into a premier business school.
His trial comes as the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) continues to investigate the suspected mismanagement of Shs53 billion allegedly paid to ghost workers across government institutions.
