KAMPALA – Makerere University has court orders to reinstate troubled researcher cum an activist, Dr Stella Nnyazi.
Dr Nyanzi, who is facing cyber harassment charges and Offensive Communication under section 24, and 25 of the Computer Misuse Act, 2011 before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on allegations that she abused President Yoweri Museveni and his deceased mother, has also been blocked by Makerere to access her office.
Nyanzi on Wednesday filed a suit file through Center for Legal Aid, against the University in the Civil Division of the High Court wants a declaration that the higher learning institution has defied orders of its Staff Appeals Tribunal to reinstate her to the office at Makerere Institute of Social Research.
The tribunal had ordered the university to pay Dr. Nyanzi her outstanding emoluments within ten working days after the ruling.
Delivering the ruling, the tribunal chairperson George Omunyokol faulted the appointments board for failing to conduct Nyanzi’s disciplinary hearings within the statutory four weeks after suspension. Nyanzi was suspended on March 31, 2017.
“Failure or refusal by Makerere officers and staff to implement the orders of the Staff Appeal Tribunal is illegal, unjust, discriminatory and amounts to an abuse of power and misfeasance in public office,” she contends in the suit.
She seeks a court order compelling Makerere to comply with its statutory duty and implement orders of its Staff Appeals Tribunal.
Nyanzi claims that as a result of Makerere action, she has suffered permanent harm through impairment of personal and vocational growth, disruption of family welfare, violation of fundamental rights to dignity, equality and non-discrimination at the workplace.
In her affidavit, Nyanzi, a mother of three children of school-going age, says the University Secretary and the Directorate of Legal affairs acknowledged receipt of the order and her letter but did not respond to it.
Nyanzi says on May 22, 2017, she demanded the university’s director human resource and secretary to the appointment board a full statement of accountability regarding her salary arrears and other emoluments but they did not respond to her letter.
In a letter dated October 18, the board claims that Nyanzi, while using her social media, on March 29, 2017, at 12:15, used abusive and insulting language while referring to the Minister of Education and Sports.
“You among others referred to her as lazy pig, big-thighed cow, poisonous snake, empty-brained, and leopardess and certified approved fool,” reads their letter in parts to Nyazi.
“You further insulted her on March 30, 2017, at around 1:33 using your Facebook social media page by stating that she is seriously much more foolish I envisaged. Somebody lend Janet a few brain cells, please, please, please…”
The state prosecutor purports that Nyanzi insinuated that the President’s mother should have suffered a stillbirth, which utterances are obscene, lewd or indecent.
