By KT Reporter
Dr. Busingye Kabumba has highlighted fresh attempts to curtail academic freedom at Makerere University. Kabumba, who teaches Constitutional Law and Legal Philosophy, is also the Acting Director of the Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC) has lately indicated that he had communicated to the effect that the Centre has to seek permission before hosting debates and public lectures on some of the contentious issues in the country.
He, however, says he is determined to defy such orders and directives from top officials at the University because, to him, implementing them would be endorsing attacks on academic freedom.
It appears that there have been attempts by those in authority to stop the Human Rights and Peace Centre from hosting the launch of Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo from launching his book titled
“What Died When We Lived” Busingye stood his ground and allowed the book launch with Winnie Byanyima delivering a keynote address and Dr Zac Niringiye as a discussant. Byanyima and Niringiye are critics of the ruling NRM government
“These barazas have consistently been held for over thirty years without any incident. So I was surprised yesterday when there was some kind of indication that a certain kind of approval to held for today. And I was invited to write a letter to obtain that approval. I did not,” revealed Kabumba.
Academic freedom is a constitutional right that serves as one of the pillars of modern university education. Those in academia say that it plays a crucial role in fostering an environment where ideas can be freely expressed, debated, and critiqued without fear of retribution. Increasingly, lecturers and students at the country’s oldest university say this right has been under attack.
Accusing fingers have been pointed at top authorities at the University, especially the Vice Chancellor, Professor Bernabas Nawangwe.
Uganda Radio Network has information that some faculties and other centres hosted by Makerere have been pushed to accept such orders. Sources indicate that in mid-March this year, the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre was jointly hosted by Makerere University, and MUBs declined to host a baraza where the detained Tanzanian opposition politician, Tundu Lissu, was to address students of Makerere.
The venue had been offered to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation’s Uganda Office. It was at the last minute to the Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC).
At the launch of Ssentongo’s book, a student in the auditorium openly complained that many students were facing reprisal for expressing their views and opinions on social media in and out of the University. Dr Zac Niringiye suggested that students shouldn’t give up in fight for the right to academic freedom. He suggested that they could, for example, engage in covert work to defend that right. Bishop Niringiye said that the method worked for him and others while still studying at Makerere during Iddi Amin’s regime.
Some of these concerns are not new. In May 2024, Dr Busingye Kambumba was put under investigation for administering what authorities termed a deeply satirical exam. The exam in question referred to the Speaker of Parliament, Annette Anita Among and other political persons in a hypothetical problem question. Lecturers, including Dr. Ronald Naluwairo, acting Principal of the School of Law, defended the exam for the course unit Principles of Constitutional Law II, taken by first-year students.
Those opposed to the directives say the Uganda Constitution of 1995 provides the right to academic freedom under Article 29 (1) (b)
“Every person shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and belief, which shall include academic freedom in institutions of learning”, says the constitution.
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR), which defines academic freedom as ‘the liberty of individuals to express freely opinions about the institution or system in which they work, to fulfil their functions without discrimination or fear of repression by the State or any other actors.
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