A fresh fight has erupted at the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), this time involving the institute’s director Prof Mahmood Mamdani and research fellow and lecturer James Ocita.
In an internal memo written to Mamdani and the faculty members, Ocita accuses the MISR director of using his political connections to turn the institute into his personal project.
“We are just emerging from a year-long saga involving accusations of victimisation, segregation, favouritism, general disregard for institutional structures and policies, etc. It is quite unfortunate that even before the pending complaints have been resolved, we have started the New Year doing exactly the same thing we have been accused of,” wrote Ocita in a lengthy memo, a copy of which The Observer has seen.
ALTERCATION
Ocita was referring to the April 2016 altercation between Prof Mamdani and another research fellow, Dr Stella Nyanzi, which culminated in the latter undressing before cameras after Mamdani allegedly locking her out of her office at the institute.
The controversy led to the suspension of Dr Nyanzi and the formation of a committee headed by Hajjati Sharifah Buzeki from the public service commission to investigate the falling out between the two. Buzeki’s committee largely found Nyanzi culpable of insubordination and failure to honour her employment contract.
Ocita says in his own memo that although he fervently defended Mamdani in his battle with Dr Nyanzi, he was not blind to the weaknesses at MISR.
“Rather, it was because you convinced me with your explanation that MISR is a work-in-progress and that we are all undergoing a learning process. The implication was that such weaknesses and isolated mistakes made in the running of the unit should not lead us to tear down the unit but learn from the missteps,” he wrote.
Ocita added that with the blatant irregularities and systematic disregard for institutional policies and established structures, he is reconsidering what it means to protect the unit.
“MISR owes a lot to Prof Mamdani. But the long-term survival of the unit will be irreparably impaired by the professor’s reliance on his political connections as he insists on showing willful disregard and even contempt to institutional structures,” Ocita noted.
From September to December 2015, Ocita was MISR acting director while from January to August 2016; he was an assistant to Mamdani in charge of Accounts and Administration. He said those roles often meant being critical of a number of Mamdani’s decisions on many things, and could have ultimately cost him his long-term tenure at the institute.
“Even as I point out these issues and repeated irregularities for the general good of the institute, I know that I have all but been bundled out of MISR,” he notes.
According to Ocita, all his responsibilities, including supervision, have been irregularly reallocated without the decision being duly communicated to him.
“So I’m aware that my current efforts may well seal my fate, which if anything had already long been decided. My only fault is that I have repeatedly dared to raise contrary views to that of the director and insisted on pointing out these irregularities,” he said.
Ocita added that as an acclaimed academic, Mamdani should stop expecting all people to think like him.
“You’ve consistently driven out everyone who exercised independence of thought. I do not do these things from selfish consideration but for the greater good of the institution. MISR needs you more than me, but none of us should presume to be larger than the institution. The irregularities I am referring to should concern everyone of us who care about the sustainability of MISR as an academic unit… and not Prof Mamdani’s personal project in which those who served and those who serve under it are at his mercy,” Ocita noted.
STUDENT SEGREGATION
Ocita also accused Mamdani of favouring international students at the expense of their Ugandan counterparts in awarding scholarships.
“It becomes worrying, especially when weakness or strength is ethicised, and irrespective of evidence, one section of students [Ugandans] are viewed as weak and the others [foreigners] are viewed as strong,” he noted.
Ocita added that despite Mamdani’s low opinion of Ugandan students, the majority of those that he despises have won international fellowships. He further noted that this academic year, MISR admitted four international students and three Ugandans because of Mamdani’s prejudices.
“Prof Mamdani, students are keenly aware of the irregularities in MISR, and it should not surprise you that a number of them have chosen not to bother to report to a MISR which they see as a shadow of what they were told it was. They are smart enough not to put their fate at the whims of an erratic director, who seems to operate beyond the scrutiny of regular institutional regulations,” he wrote.
MAMDANI SPEAKS
When contacted, Prof Mamdani distanced himself from the admission of students, explaining that it is the work of the admission board.
“The admission process goes through the academic board and the MISR registrar to the college registrar. It is under the supervision of the college principal [Professor Edward Kirumira] and vice-principal [Dr Josephine Ahikire],” Mamdani said in an email response to our inquiries.
Dr Ahikire, on the other hand, referred The Observer to Prof Kirumira. However, Kirumira had not yet responded to our email queries by press time.
On the other issues raised by Ocita, Mamdani said they had been exhaustively handled by the Buzeki committee of inquiry which had members from the Law Society and senior Makerere staff.
“Their 200-page report was released in August, 2016,” he said. “Its 20-page executive summary is available on the MISR website.”
bakerbatte@observer.ug