Prof Mutua’s criticism over the establishment of William Ruto Institute of Leadership Studies at Makerere University was misguided and out of context – VC Nawangwe
Prof Barnabas Nawangwe on Monday 30th, December 2019, defended honouring Kenya’s Vice President, William Ruto through Makerere University Institute of Learning after Kenya’s law Prof Makua Mutua on the 26th, December 2019, termed the move public ridicule on Uganda’s great university.
In Mutua’s argument, naming Ruto after Makerere’s Institute was absurd and inconceivable blunder intended to tarnish the reputation of the once respectable University in Uganda.
“A William Ruto Leadership Institute Makerere University is the most absurd and utterly inconceivable blunder in the history of higher education in Africa,” Mutua said.
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“Today Makerere University is the laughing stock of the world. I expect students, faculty and staff to quickly erase this abomination. Now!” he added.
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Via Makerere University Social Media platform, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe in a brief statement said that Mutua’s criticism on the construction of William Ruto Institute of Leadership Studies at Makerere University is out of context and misguided attempt.
“The Institute is not an academic award as Prof Makua seems to insinuate, but a rare initiative by an African political leader to support African indigenous scholarship,” Prof Nawangwe said.
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Nawangwe says Ruto initiative should be embraced by every patriotic African elite other than drawing condemnations out of apparent misconception.
“he’s simply helping build and Institute for leadership and as the champion and key funder, it is just logical that it is named after him,” Nawangwe said. “in any case Ruto is no simple person, he’s a two-time Deputy President of a neighbouring country.”
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“He could have chosen to do this at his alma mater, the University of Nairobi and I doubt that anybody would have rejected his request. He chose Makerere for good reasons and we have no problem with that,” Nawangwe added.
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Deputy Vice President, William Ruto of Kenya was honoured by Makerere University after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni asked them to honour him through William Ruto Institute of Learning.
But Prof Makua Mutua of Buffalo School of Law in Nairobi says Ruto does not deserve to be honoured because of his corrupt tendencies in Kenya.
“Makerere University has been requested by the Office of the President of the Republic of Uganda to host The William Ruto Leadership Institute with laying of the foundation stone scheduled for Saturday, December 21, 2019, with the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, William ruto
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“Mr Ruto, you will recall, is the infamous Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya. No Kenyan University – even the most craven and debased –has ever given Mr Ruto such a sterling honour,” Mutua argued.
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Mutua noted that previously Ruto allegedly engaged in a corruption scandal, previous convictions, like Muteshi land and the case against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC). All these scandals make him unfit for any special recognition around the world.
“Mr Ruto is the furthest thing from these indicia. His short biography is one of a chequered public career punctuated by infamy, calumny, and ungoverned greed for political power,” Mutua said.
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Mutua further questioned the authenticity of the DP’s doctorate, saying it’s surrounded by numerous controversies.
“I think that Mr Ruto and his academic supervisors at the University of Nairobi have a lot of questions to answer. We need to see an audit of his programme of study to establish the authenticity, or lack thereof, of his doctorate,” Mutua said.
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Kenya’s Ruto was cherished last Saturday on the 21, December 2019, in a ceremony attended by President Museveni where he offered $100.000 towards the Institute’s construction.
Now, Makerere University awaits the implementation of another project by different Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki, launched four years back.
