By Sania Babirye
The newly Suspended Makerere University MUASA chairman Dr. Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi has taken his suspension battle to the courts of law to have him reinstated.
Dr.Kamunyu has dragged Makerere University together with Vice- Chancellor Prof. Barnarbs Nawangwe to the high court over what he has termed as unlawful suspension.
Dr. Kamunyu who is a lecturer at the Department of Forestry is also accusing the university of barring him from accessing his home within Makerere University premises.
He now wants court to order prof. Nawangwe to lift his suspension on grounds that it bars him from attending Church services and places of entertainment yet according to him the VC has no legal mandate to do so.
Dr Kamunyu is also also seeking General damages from Makerere University and Prof. Nawangwe on grounds that they tarnished his name and image by portraying him as a criminal and an undisciplined Lecturer yet he was just expressing the views of other members of the academic staff that he leads .
According Court documents, on the 17th of January 2019, Vice -chancellor , prof Barnabas Nawangwe suspended Dr. Kamunyu from the University on grounds that despite repeated warnings , he continued to engage in acts that incited other academic staff to disobey, strike and undermine the University's administration.
According to the suspension letter which was also copied to the University's Security manager , Nawangwe was exercising his powers and duties as VC and his decision to suspend Dr.Kamunyu was to protect Makerere University's reputation.
The suspension letter further alleges that Nawangwe got intelligence information that Dr. Kamunyu was planning to disrupt University activities .
And following Dr.Kamunyu's abrupt suspension, the university lectures have since then gone on strike and vowed not to came back to teach until Dr.Kamunyu is reinstated .
Makekere University and Prof.Nawangwe have now been ordered to file their defense within 15 days .