Prosecuting Prof. Balunywa is a National Disgrace — Hands Off Our Academic Giants

Uganda woke up to the shocking news that Prof. Waswa Balunywa, the man who turned Makerere University Business School (MUBS) into the academic powerhouse it is today, is set to appear in court on August 21 over abuse of office and causing financial loss.

The “crime”? Hiring three administrative assistants — allegedly without the “right” qualifications — between February and April 2023. That’s it. Three hires. After 35 years of public service.

We call it as we see it: this case reeks of a witch-hunt. It’s the kind of legal theatre that destroys public trust in our justice system and sends one dangerous message to civil servants — no matter how much you serve this country, they will find a way to drag your name through the mud.

Balunywa didn’t just keep the lights on at MUBS. He transformed it from a tiny department into a 20,000-student strong institution with over 1,500 staff. He’s been a mentor to thousands, a reformer, and a relentless champion of higher education. To reduce all of that to some petty paperwork dispute over three hires is petty politics at its finest.

Let’s be real: no one’s financial life was destroyed by these hires. No one is accusing him of lining his pockets. But somehow, a retired man with a spotless financial record is being treated like a criminal.

Uganda’s problem isn’t that our best public servants make “minor” hiring decisions — it’s that our politics chews up and spits out the very people who build institutions. And we, the youth, are watching closely. If this is how the state treats one of our most accomplished academic leaders, what hope do the rest of us have?

Hands off Prof. Balunywa. Let the man retire in peace. We should be tapping into his wisdom, not dragging him to court over technicalities.

History will remember him for the nation he built in classrooms, not the political mud they’re trying to throw now