East Africa’s largest university, Makerere, is caught up in a heated controversy after facing sharp criticism from political thinker Yusuf Sserunkuma.
Known for his bold views and sharp criticism, Serunkuma has directly targeted the university’s leadership, accusing them of mismanagement and lacking transparency.
His strong opinions have sparked widespread discussions, with many people joining the conversation about how the university is being run.
In response, Makerere University seems to be working hard to discredit Sserunkuma, whose critiques have hit a nerve.
The university’s leadership, unsettled by his growing influence, is now taking steps to challenge his credibility.
This situation has raised concerns about whether there’s enough room for free speech and open criticism at Uganda’s most respected academic institution.
Serunkuma has used various platforms, including social media, newspapers, and broadcast media, to raise concerns about what he calls the declining standards at Uganda’s top university.
His recent articles in The Observer have heavily criticised the university’s management, drawing significant attention and stirring up the controversy.
In his latest article, published on September 3, 2024, Serunkuma, who identifies himself as a political theorist from Makerere University, argued that the institution is turning into little more than a glorified high school, far from the prestigious university it once was.
He has repeatedly questioned the credibility of those in charge, pointing out flaws in their decisions and actions, many of which, he claims, were made without proper policies in place.
Despite his consistent critiques, it seems the university’s administration has finally had enough.
They are now fighting back by dismissing Sserunkuma’s claims and trying to discredit him, portraying him as a fraud.
“Makerere University wishes to address all media outlets concerning Mr. Yusuf Kajura Sserunkuma’s representation of his affiliation with the university. Contrary to his claims, Mr. Serunkuma is not a political theorist based at Makerere University,” a letter posted on the university’s X account states in part.
In a letter signed by Makerere University’s Principal Public Relations Officer, who rarely sends out such communications, the university claimed that Sserunkuma, who started his PhD in 2012, failed to meet the required academic standards and was removed from the program.
The letter further stated, “Mr. Serunkuma does not hold a PhD from Makerere University, is not currently affiliated with the university, and has no ongoing relationship with the institution.”
While the letter included some facts, it left out important details about Serunkuma’s long-standing issues with Makerere, particularly his five-year legal battle with Professor Mahmood Mamdani, the former director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR).
This dispute revolved around the supervision of Sserunkuma’s PhD thesis.
In 2020, after a lengthy court battle, Justice Lydia Mugambe ruled in Serunkuma’s favour, but Makerere University has since appealed the decision, and the final ruling is still pending.
Despite this, Serunkuma completed his PhD studies at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, a public research university in Germany. He still maintains that he is legally connected to Makerere and expects to receive his second PhD from there.
He has challenged the university to provide an official termination letter, hinting that they might be fabricating such documents.
On his social media account, Serunkuma responded by saying, “You should have addressed me as Dr. Sserunkuma. You now have the challenge to come up with a fake letter of my termination, because I haven’t seen one. You haven’t implemented Justice Mugambe’s 2020 judgment, but instead, you are misrepresenting me.”
Serunkuma is the latest critic to face pushback from Makerere’s leadership after speaking out against the institution’s practices.
In recent years, under Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the university has been known to clamp down on dissent by weakening student leadership, shutting down vocal staff associations, and targeting outspoken staff members with dismissal or stalled promotions.
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