By: Reuben Twinomujuni

The Kyambogo University Council resolved to regularly hold consultative meetings with Staff Associations and on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, the first meeting took place in CTF 05 at Kyambogo University.  National Union for Education Institutions (NUEI) and Kyambogo University Senior Administrative Staff Association (KYUSASA) attended this meeting while Kyambogo University Academic Staff Association (KYUASA) didn’t attend the meeting.

In her opening remarks, Mary Gorreti Nakabugo (PhD), the Chairperson of the Council said this meeting was intended to facilitate harmony and peace “as we work together” adding that there’s no way people can work together if they don’t know each other’s issues and challenges.  She thanked teaching and non-teaching staff for always endeavoring to meet students’ needs. She informed the meeting that the fifth Council set four priorities, which are: Resource Mobilization, investing in ICT, infrastructure development and staff welfare.

From right: Mrs. Sarah Babirye Lubega, Vice-Chairperson of Council, Mr. Barigye Edgar, Chairperson NUEI, Dr. Mary Gorreti Nakabugo, Chairperson Council, Mr. Kigoonya John Sempebwa, Chairperson KYUSASA and Prof. Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya, the Vice Chancellor after the meeting. (Photo by Reuben Twinomujuni)

She further revealed that this is the first time Council is meeting Staff Associations to a peaceful dialogue not to resolve a crisis. She stressed that for the next four years, Council will meet Staff Associations twice a year further revealing that as time goes, Council may take interest in meeting the Guild leadership to dialogue with them too.

Concluding, she requested that “let’s always attentively listen to each other because we are not here on our own but working for the university and the nation.”

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eli Katunguka, on his part said this kind of meeting involving Council, Top Management and Staff Associations was the first of its kind. He said Management has been holding these meetings and pledged to continue, stressing that these meetings have culminated into smooth working relations between management and staff. He told the meeting that Kyambogo University has become the preferred destination for people who want to work and that university recruitment has continuously attracted staff from other universities both public and private. He concluded urging Staff Associations to continuously endeavor to promote the name and image of Kyambogo University.

NUEI raised for discussion a number of issues among them: quick implementation of the new structure, need to consider revising processes in recruitment and dismissals, need for a fair burial policy, need to pass regulations regarding students’ dressing and the need for all Staff Associations and Union to work together on cross-cutting issues.

KYUASA called for attention in the areas of: staff appointment and promotion, retirement benefit scheme, biological scheme, staff development, classification and treatment of staff, burial policy and salary enhancement for non-teaching staff, temporary appointments and anomalies in the university approved structure. KYUSASA made several proposals for each issue raised.

The meeting concluded resolving to regularly convene for dialogue and for harmonious living while the Chairperson of Council promised to further look into the issues raised and give a feedback on each one of them.

Council had an opportunity to carefully listen to the issues and members resolved:

  1. That the presentations made at the meeting shall be studied in detail to identify critical issues that can be handled in the short-run by Management and those that are policy-related to be handled by Council. A clustering of these issues will be done and shared with the Union and Staff Associations for their information and records.
  2. That the next consultative meeting between Council and the Executives of Staff Associations and the Union will be held in August 2021 to review the progress and discuss any other emerging issues .
  3. That consultative meeting between Council and the leadership of Staff would be considered by Council as part and parcel of its Annual Almanac/Schedule of meetings.