However, appearing before Justice Lydia Mugambe of High Court Civil Division, Nyanzi through her lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde told court to reject the affidavit of Abunyang which the University is using to challenge its failure to pay Nyanzi all her emoluments arising from the illegal suspension.
Dr Stella Nyanzi at the Civil Division of High Court
Dr Stella Nyanzi has asked court to reject the testimony of
Makerere University Director for Human Resource, Andrew Abunyang defending
failure to reinstate her.
Nyanzi was suspended from Makerere Institute for Social Research in 2016 after
a series of social media outbursts attacking the First Lady and Minister of
Education and Sports, Janet Museveni.
However, appearing before Justice Lydia Mugambe of High Court
Civil Division, Nyanzi through her lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde told court to reject
the affidavit of Abunyang which the University is using to challenge its failure
to pay Nyanzi all her emoluments arising from the illegal suspension.
Ssemakadde told court that when Abunyang appeared in court to be
cross-examined over his testimony in March 2019 he disowned it having knowledge
of the affidavit that was brought to him.
Abunyang said that he just signed the document not knowing what
was inside because it was brought to him for signing by someone from the Legal
Department of Makerere University and it had many errors including dates of
signing.
The affidavits ask court to dismiss the application citing that Makerere
University paid Nyanzi even when she was still on suspension.
His affidavit is supported by a cheque voucher dated December, 15th, 2017
indicating that more than 20 million shillings were paid to Nyanzi.
The University through their lawyer Hudson Musoke has also asked
court to maintain the suspension of Dr Nyanzi's arguing that her
appointment expired.
Nyanzi was appointed as a Research Fellow at MISR on June, 6th, 2011. Her
contract reportedly expired five years later on May 30th, 2016.
She now wants to be compensated over 700 million shillings for general
damages.
Dr Nyanzi dragged Makerere University to the Civil Division of High Court
in November 2018 accusing Makerere University for failing to implement the
orders of Makerere University Staff Appeals Tribunal which held that her
suspension was illegal and thus ordered for her reinstatement and payment
of all her two-year emoluments.
This followed the October, 2nd, 2018, orders made by the
Staff Appeals Tribunal led by George Omunyokol saying that Nyanzi should
be given all her emoluments within 30 days from the date of judgment which
hasn't been done.
In December 2018, Nyanzi was officially laid off from her job at Makerere
University together with 46 other Academic Staff following a number of issues
including expiration of contracts and being irregular at work.
Justice Lydia Mugambe has since advised them to revise their laws and making
proposals for law reforms.
Mugambe will give her Judgment on the application on October, 16th 2019.