Education Committee to Meet MUST Leadership Over Staff Strike

The Education Committee of parliament has decided to conduct an oversight visit to Mbarara University of Science and Technology-(MUST and meet management over the ongoing staff strike and looming student strike.

The committee members note that there is need to ascertain what is happening on the ground, listen to key stakeholders including the University Council, top management, staff associations and guild leaders so as to bring an end to the strike.

Luuka South MP, Stephen Kisa Bakubalwayo, says the committee will “invade” the university on Wednesday night and hold a meeting on Thursday morning on what can be done to resolve the current impasse.    

  

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The committee chairperson, Jacob Opolot has called on all members to avail themselves for the oversight exercise so that an agreement is reached at the university come Thursday.     

The committee has 25 members. He says that it is important that business normalizes at the university because examinations are expected to start on Monday next week.   

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On Monday, Opolot met the MUST Guild President, Mike Katongole.

They agreed that students shouldn’t join the staff strike because it will derail the ongoing negotiations between the staff leadership with the Chancellor and university Council on ending the strike and address the issues raised by the staff.   

Students have listed three core priorities, which are that examinations should be conducted, availability of teaching, learning and administrative services to students.

They also want the current impasse resolved in the shortest possible time so that the university timetable runs as planned. On Thursday, Mbarara University of Science and Technology Academic Staff Association –MUSTASA announced a staff strike. 

The staff accuses the Vice Chancellor Prof. Celestino Obua of incompetence, financial mismanagement, misuse of university property and flouting of the human resources manual through illegal staff recruitment.    

Prof. Obua has since denied all the accusations leveled against him, saying he is being found in tribal grounds. He has tasked accusing him to produce evidence substantiating their claims.