Gov’t Names New Varsity Bosses

By John V Sserwaniko

Permanent Secretary and Secretary to Treasury (PSST) Keith Muhakanizi has made fresh new appointments posting accounting officers to a number of Public Universities.

The beneficiary institutions are either newly acquired Public Universities or old ones but which have been without substantive accounting officers. The institutions include Busitema University for which Abert Masiko Mutungwire has been appointed the new University Secretary/Accounting officer for what is designated as Vote No. 111.

Previously Busitema VC Prof Mary Okwakol had written to Muhakanizi about Mutungwire’s suitability for the job. The appointments are made under the Public Finance Management Act. The other accounting officer Muhakanizi has newly appointed is Narcicir Tibenderana who becomes new accounting officer for Kabale University which government sometime back acquired from the original private owners turning it into a public institution.

It’s designated as Vote No. 307. Lira University, which the government acquired in a manner similar to Kabale, is also on the list of those Universities whose new accounting officers Muhakanizi has just appointed effective this FY2017/18 and Augustine Oyang Atubo is the new US there.

There is also Soroti University (Vote No. 308) whose Ruth Achimo has been re-appointed as Accounting Officer. This is the second time Muhakanizi is reappointing this deeply spiritual lady to oversee things at Soroti University which is commencing academic programs in October this year.

In another letter to BoU’ Director Banking, Muhakanizi clarifies that Mutungwire is replacing Abdul Karim Isala who has been acting University Secretary for Busitema.

Isala became acting US when John Wabwire disagreed with colleagues and left Busitema to work with NIRA.

At the same time, Muhakanizi was by press time expected to finalize Mzee Charles Okello’s appointment at the new US for Kyambogo University.

He is the former CAO in western region districts and in 2016 unsuccessfully stood for MP Seat in Nebbi where he lost NRM primaries to Allan Kajik and subsequently Joshua Nyekorach.