For the second time in less than a year, Mr Bruce Baraba Kabasa, the Chairman of the appointments board Makerere University has written to Vice-Chancellor Prof John Ssentamu, directing him to suspend Dr Stella Nyanzi with immediate effect.
Mr Bruce Baraba Kabasa, the Chairman of the appointments board Makerere University wrote to Prof John Ssentamu on Friday, directing him to suspend Dr Nyanzi for using vulgar prose to criticize Ms Museveni on social media
“This communication is, therefore, to require you to implement the decision of the appointments board referred to above by suspending Dr Stella Nyanzi from the university service with immediate effect. By copy of this letter, the director of human resources and Ag. Legal affairs are required to prepare for the disciplinary proceedings of the above case.” The letter reads in part.
Nyanzi attacks started the day Ms Janet Museveni appeared before the Parliament’s Education Committee (February 13), revealing that it would not be possible for the government to provide menstruation tissues to school girls as promised earlier by her husband because of financial constraint
That aside, Janet Museveni’s comments to Journalist on Monday, where she condemns the early reporting time for children and cautioned parents on the use of boda bodas to transport children to school triggered Stella the more.
She took to social media a fundraising campaign and strong verbal attacks against the First Lady and regime in power.
“Our children are a lot safer under the care of boda-boda men than they are under the nepotistic family rule entrenched by the Musevenis. How can boda-boda men be more dangerous than a rogue regime whose president appoints his wife as Minister of Education, and want his son to be future president?” Stella said on Facebook.
When news of these attacks reached the First Lady, she came out Thursday and said she had forgiven her.
The suspension letter issued yesterday said Dr Nyanzi had ignored earlier warnings of inappropriate Facebook usage, thus suspension.
In total disregard of the aforementioned warnings, Dr Nyanzi has continued to use social media to violate section 5.7.7 of the Makerere University Human resource manual 2009. Its particularly regrettable that Dr Nyanzi has made it a habit to insult, dehumanize and castigate the line Minister of Education and sports under whose docket Makerere University’s supervision falls.” Mr Baraba said.
First Suspension
Dr Nyanzi was locked out of her office after a row with the management at Makerere University in April 2016.
In protest against the lock out by the institute’s director Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, she stripped naked while on the school premises, sparking massive debate in and out of the country.
Moments before stripping naked, the medical anthropologist with a PhD from the University of London based on ethnographic fieldwork of youth sexualities, sexual and reproductive health in The Gambia took to her Facebook page and wrote; “The battle cry of the oppressed is my cry this morning. I am going to undress oppression at MISR as I undress myself to the nude.”
Although some supported her move, others saw the act as immoral.
This included Father Simon Lokodo, minister of ethics and integrity who called for her arrest citing violation of Uganda’s anti-pornographic act.
On the same matter, popular political figure Miria Matembe asked relatives and friends of Nyanzi to hurry and find her medical assistance, emphasizing that she is mentally challenged.
Matembe said an academic of her caliber could have explored other available options before sinking so low.
In accordance with section 5.9 (d) (i) of its human resource manual, Makerere University suspended Nyanzi from the institute of social research (MISR) amid investigations into the matter.
She was however called back in February 2017.
cnakalungi@ugchristiannews.com
