Hanifah Nakiryowa before (R) and after the attack (L)
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Makerere University has directed Dr Faisal Buyinza to step aside from all leadership and administrative responsibilities as a six-member committee begins investigating allegations of sexual harassment, abuse of authority and other misconduct raised by his former wife, Hanifah Nakiryowa.
The university said the decision was necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation and prevent any possible interference with complainants or witnesses.
In a communication to staff and students dated October 7, Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Sarah Ssali said Buyinza, an associate professor and head of the Department of Economic Theory and Analysis at the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), must immediately relinquish his departmental leadership.
“Dr Buyinza has been directed to step aside from the headship of the Department of Economic Theory and Analysis and from any other leadership or administrative position he holds in the University,” Ssali said.
The Dean of the School of Economics will temporarily oversee the department.
Protecting the investigation
Makerere’s decision comes as the institution faces increasing public scrutiny over how it handles allegations against senior members of staff.
Buyinza has also been barred from contacting, influencing or interfering with any complainant or witness involved in the inquiry.
The university stressed that the measure should not be interpreted as a conclusion that Buyinza committed any offence.
“These are administrative measures to protect the integrity of the investigation and those who take part in it. They are not a disciplinary sanction and are not a finding of guilt,” Makerere said.
The distinction is significant because the allegations against Buyinza remain unproven. The university is required to establish the facts before determining whether disciplinary action is warranted.
The investigation follows allegations revived by Nakiryowa, who has accused her former husband of sexual harassment, abuse of authority and misconduct dating back to the period when she was his student at Makerere.
She has also alleged that Buyinza was involved in a 2011 acid attack that left her with severe facial injuries and required several operations abroad. Buyinza has previously denied involvement in the attack.
University has independent responsibility
The acid-attack allegations were previously investigated through the criminal justice system. Buyinza was charged with attempted murder, but the Director of Public Prosecutions discontinued the case in 2014 after difficulties securing prosecution witnesses.
The termination of the criminal proceedings did not result in a conviction against Buyinza, nor did it constitute a judicial finding that he committed the attack.
Makerere nevertheless said the previous criminal proceedings do not prevent the university from examining Buyinza’s conduct under its own regulations.
“Irrespective of those proceedings, the University has its own duty, under its Policy and Regulations against Sexual Harassment, its Safeguarding Policy and its Human Resources Manual, to establish the facts in this matter and to act on them,” Ssali said.
This gives the university a separate institutional responsibility to investigate allegations involving its staff, particularly where they concern conduct allegedly connected to the university environment.
Six-member committee
The investigation will be conducted by a six-member committee chaired by Associate Professor Dorothy Okello, Dean of the School of Engineering at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology.
The other members are Prof Engineer Bainomugisha, principal of the College of Computing and Information Sciences; Dr Christine Mbaazi Mpyaŋgu from the Department of Religion and Peace Studies; legal adviser Sumaiyah Nanyondo Sebuta; and Dr Joella Nasaka from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources.
Chief Human Resource Officer Deus T. Mujuni will serve as secretary.
The committee has been instructed to hear all complainants and witnesses while giving Buyinza an opportunity to respond to every allegation.
Its report is expected by November 6, giving the investigators about one month to establish the facts and make recommendations.
More action could follow
If the committee establishes that Buyinza has a case to answer, Makerere said the matter will be referred to the university’s Appointments Board.
He would then receive another opportunity to defend himself under the institution’s disciplinary procedures.
The university has also invited other people with relevant information to come forward, promising confidentiality and protection against intimidation, victimisation and retaliation.
The latest action follows Makerere’s October 1 statement acknowledging concerns involving a member of staff without naming Buyinza or announcing specific measures. The institution subsequently constituted the investigation committee.
Makerere’s response is also taking place within a broader institutional framework for handling sexual harassment complaints. The university amended its sexual harassment policy in 2018 and established, in 2019, a standing roster of 100 people from whom committees can be selected to investigate individual complaints.
By removing Buyinza from leadership while the inquiry proceeds, Makerere is seeking to separate administrative authority from the investigation and reassure complainants and witnesses that they can participate without facing possible influence from the person under investigation.
The university has warned staff and students against social media commentary that could expose complainants, intimidate witnesses or prejudice the inquiry.
“The safety and dignity of every member of our community is not negotiable,” Ssali said.
