Former Makerere University Business School (MUBS) principal, Prof. Waswa Balunywa, has been released on bail by the Anti-Corruption Court after spending three days on remand at Luzira Prison over charges of abuse of office.
Chief Magistrate Rachael Nakyazze granted the 69-year-old academician bail on two separate case files, emphasising the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence. She ordered him to pay a combined Shs 15 million in cash, while his sureties were bonded at varying amounts.
Balunywa, who retired as MUBS principal in 2022 after serving for more than two decades, is facing charges of irregular staff recruitment. In one case, prosecutors allege that in March 2023 he arbitrarily appointed three individuals as administrative assistants despite their failure to meet minimum qualifications, placing an undue financial burden on government. He faces these charges jointly with MUBS acting human resource director, Jacqueline Namaganda, who had earlier secured bail.
In a second case, court heard that between 2020 and 2023, he irregularly recruited over 200 staff members—academic, administrative, and support staff—in appointments that prosecutors argue should have been made by the institution’s appointments committee.
The two cases are part of a wider Shs 53 billion corruption probe spanning multiple government entities, including the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority. At least 15 suspects have so far appeared in court, with more expected.
Balunywa presented a formidable team of sureties, including his brother, Kampala International University vice chancellor Dr. Muhammad Ngoma; Prof. Sudi Nangoli, managing director of Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation; his son, Airtel Uganda sales director Ali Balunywa; his sister, Hajjati Zawudi Ndifuna, director of Mbogo Schools; and Busoga Kingdom’s deputy prime minister, Osman Noor Ahmed. They submitted identification documents, land titles, and bank statements to prove their capacity.
His defence team, led by Shamim Nalule and Asuman Matovu, argued that Balunywa is a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record who voluntarily presented himself to court despite first learning of the charges through media reports. He also surrendered his passport and a land title in Iganga district to demonstrate willingness to comply with bail conditions.
The prosecution, represented by Principal Assistant DPP Caroline Nabaasa, had initially opposed bail, questioning the suitability of the sureties and arguing that Balunywa had appeared only after criminal summons were issued. However, she did not oppose the second bail application, though she urged the court to impose strict conditions.
Magistrate Nakyazze set October 15, 2025, as the date for the pre-trial hearing of the second case.
Balunywa and Namaganda are among 30 individuals under investigation in the alleged Shs 53 billion scandal, which has intensified scrutiny of corruption in Uganda’s public institutions. His case, given his influence in academia and business education, has attracted wide public attention and is seen as a test for accountability in the higher education sector.