Makerere Orders Dr Buyinza to Step Aside as University Probes Allegations

What the report says

Makerere University has instructed senior lecturer Dr Faisal Buyinza to step aside from leadership and administrative duties while a six-member committee investigates allegations raised by his former wife, Hanifah Nakiryowa. According to Nile Post, the claims include sexual harassment, abuse of power and domestic violence. The university said the process is being handled under its safeguarding and anti-sexual-harassment rules, along with staff disciplinary procedures.

The committee is chaired by Associate Professor Dorothy K. Okello, Dean of the School of Engineering at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology. Its membership also includes representatives from the College of Computing and Information Sciences, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, the Legal Office and Human Resources. Makerere said the panel will hear from complainants and witnesses and give Buyinza a chance to respond, stressing that the interim measures are not a finding of guilt.

Nile Post reported that the university announced the decision on October 7, after first acknowledging the controversy on October 1 amid growing public attention. Buyinza has denied the allegations. Nakiryowa has also accused him of misusing his position as a lecturer when she was a student in the early 2000s, including claims that he withheld her examination results until she agreed to a relationship.

The report also revisits a 2011 acid attack against Nakiryowa, for which Buyinza was once charged with attempted murder, though the case later ended without conviction after prosecutors discontinued it. Makerere said the committee has until November 6, 2026 to submit its report, and warned against harassment, interference or misuse of social media during the inquiry.