The vice chancellor of Makerere University Professor Barnabas Nawangwe has hit out at news outlets Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda over what he called “spreading fake news” over the reported staff strike at the University.
The Monitor newspaper had earlier carried a headline saying that lecturers had stayed away from classrooms over grievances on salary payments.
The article comes just days after the government released a new pay structure for public universities meeting promises that had been earlier made by the President of Uganda.
Journalist Suhail Mugabi responded to the Professor over the fake news allegations insisting that he tried in vain to reach the Don over the allegations but he quickly dismissed him saying that it was no justification for “spreading sensation”.
The vice chancellor also dispelled rumors that the University public relations officer, Rita Namisango had been dismissed and replaced insisting that she remains in her position in spite of the creation of the position of Manager Communications and International relations.
The VC also took the opportunity to thank lecturers that had turned up for the new semester and said that he looked forward to them working to push the university higher.
The VC also hit out at what he called “undisciplined” members of staff and warned that any member of staff that engaged in “aggravated indiscipline” would be hit by appropriate measures that have to be taken to restore sanity.
Last week, Makerere University suspended lecturer Professor Deus Kamunyu over allegations of inciting other lecturers to engage in activities against the good will of the university.