Dr Stella Nyanzi is smiling ear to ear after the Makerere Staff Appeals Tribunal ordered the university appointments board to reinstate the former research fellow at Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR).
Following the order, Dr Nyanzi will now be paid all emoluments owed to her including all monies withheld from her by virtue of the illegal suspension within the next 10 working days.
Dr Nyanzi took to her social media pages to express her joy, posting a photo of herself smiling with her lawyer, Isaac Ssemakadde.
“Wuuuuuululululu! We won, my people, we won. Makerere University Staff Appeals Tribunal judged in my favour a few minutes ago. I celebrate my brilliant lawyer, brother, friend and Comrade – Isaac Ssemakadde for a tough legal battle won. This is a brilliant and rare day for justice, rule of law, and respect of labour rights of public servants in Uganda. This is a great win for academic freedom, freedom of expression, and freedom of conscience and thought. I feel like David after slaying Goliath,” said Dr Nyanzi in a fairly long post.
According to Nyanzi, the tribunal ruled that the second indefinite suspension to which Makerere University subjected her, was unlawful and illegal because it contravenes Sec 63 (2) of the Employment Act (2006).
“The Appointments Board was found to be in breach of the law and gross failure to conduct its statutory duty. I will share copies of the ruling later,” she noted.
Among many favourable remedies, the Tribunal set aside and lifted the indefinite suspension with immediate effect.
“Furthermore, the university must pay to me all emoluments owed to me – including all monies withheld from me by virtue of the illegal suspension – within the next 10 working days. Moreover, the Tribunal instructed the university to conduct any pending disciplinary actions within 30 days. Oh Lord, my God! I need to stop right here so that I first analyze and internalize this,” Dr Nyanzi said in the post.