The VICE Chancellor of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Prof. Pauline Byakika –Kibwika has appointed Dr Jonans Tusiimire to head the Pharmacy department in acting capacity.
Tusimiire, who replaces Dr Esther Atukunda, will undertake the due process of appointing a substantive Dean and the recruitment of more staff to the department.
Tusiimire is a registered pharmacist with the Uganda Pharmaceutical society where he is the current President, and also a lecturer at the University in the same department.
Tusiimire’s appointment comes a few hours after the Pharmaceutical society withdrew the recognition of the Bachelor of Pharmacy program at Mbarara Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
The Society Council also suspended issuance of PSU Pharmacy Student Numbers, recognition of any internship placement, and eligibility to sit PSU pre-internship and pre-registration qualifying examinations for any new graduates of MUST until compliance is restored.
The decision was a resolution from the 61st Emergency society’s Council Meeting held in September.
According to a public notice dated 19th October and signed by the Dr. Stephen Lutoti, the Secretary of the pharmaceutical society, the reasons for the withdraw of recognition of the department of the Pharmacy at MUST were; the department was headed by a non-pharmacist, but a qualified nurse by profession and also in acting capacity, the department had an inadequate number of staff, and had not issued any internal or external advert to show efforts to fill the position of Head of Department.
Lutoti, says that the University failed to show cause why its recognition would not be withdrawn within 30 days since the Vice Chancellor was served with the resolution of the council on 10th September.
The Society council in the letter, advised the students enrolled for the program at MUST to transfer to other council recognized universities or await compliance by the Mbarara University.
Lutoti also advised that Pharmaceutical Society Council shall not recognize any qualification obtained where courses taught or assessed during the de-recognition period.
Tusiimire in a message posted on his X handle, says he is bound by the decisions of both Society Council, and MUST policies, guidelines and administrative decisions irrespective of his personal views.
He says his responsibility is to provide information, guidance and support to help institutional processes function as they should, while respecting the distinct mandates of both institutions and where a conflict of interest arises, he would declare it and recuse himself from the relevant decision-making process.
The Department of Pharmacy falls under the Faculty of Health Sciences (FoHS) is the oldest and largest Faculty in the University that currently comprises 25 academic departments offering over 40 accredited programs at Bachelor’s, master’s and PhD levels-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
