OPINION: MESHARCH REVEALS WHY HE LEFT ANKOLE WESTERN UNIVERSITY PREMATURELY

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In Sheema

Dear Friends of Ankole Western University* –

Lies and falsehoods keep being promoted in the Sheema Municipality race for MP in order to attract following and sympathy at the expense of institutions we are nurturing. Fortunately the masses have realised the truth and they ignore such falsehoods! It is important once in a while to expose such.

I will restrict myself to falsehoods about Ankole Western University! Of course there are other things I may not reveal to the public in spite of provocations now and again for the sake of our beloved institution!

No institution worth a name should be politicized or allow politicians to take charge of the affairs of universities. This is something that the foundation bodies should seriously consider. Government in the education Act has already moved a step by not allowing senior politicians at national level from being appointed on board of governors in schools.

The moment I decided to join politics I decided by mutual agreement with my Chancellor and Council to hand over! The law allowed me to keep the position of VC but at the same time run for political office but is it right? The best is to concentrate one thing and I chose to help develop the university from the angle of being a politician. I love AWU and I will do all it takes to protect it from those who want to use it for their selfish interests but at the same time mobilising financial resources for it.

Let me provide details!

Politicians have a big role to play in the development of our institutions like Ankole Western University. They don’t have to be in the governance organs of the university to do that. They are already in a privileged position to play a very fundamental role in the development of our institutions like AWU.

AWU will stabilise once we all get to know our roles and what can do for it or not do. At this stage, we need politicians to mobilise resources for the university! The problem of AWU now is how to sustainably finance it not lack of qualified managers to administer it. Are our politicians doing enough to raise financial resources required to get the university to the level we all want? Yes but to a less extent unlike before when we all directed our energies to develop our university with politicians setting a pace.

I was part of the original committee headed by Darius Asiimwe between 2002 – 2006 or so mobilising financial resources for the AWU project. I personally moved house to house mobilising financial resources for AWU especially in Kampala.

Some of the leaders peddling falsehoods no longer prioritise fundraising for ‘public’ institutions like AWU. They have redirected their priorities to their own personal businesses and enterprises.

My decision to run for political office was based on many reasons but related to this article I will focus on four (4).

1. To help our institutions from negative political interference that prevents managers from exercising their mandate within the academic freedom framework! Managers should be left to manage. No politician worth the name should use his position to interfere in the day to day running of the institution like AWU.

2. To mobilise resources for our university. If i am an MP, within 2 years the 5 storied science block that has stalled for over 5 years will be completed. The role of an MP is to lobby financial resources and I will do all it takes to raise that money from government, community and friends outside Uganda.

3. To help promote the university beyond Greater Bushenyi. I will make sure wherever I go I promote AWU in a bid not only to get financial resources but also human resources and encourage as many students at home and abroad to consider joining Ankole Western University.

4. Mobilising resources for AWU will keep the university fees low that parents will afford. Keeping the fees at affordable rates means we have to seriously consider fundraising for the university. This needs a young, energetic and dynamic person to coordinate these efforts.

Lastly, Ankole Western University is doing well. Issues of debts which I found there are issues that all institutions face including our old universities like Makerere. Some of our leaders who want to portray the university as being a one person ‘Dr Katusiimeh’ university are detractors of our beloved institution. The systems and structures are firm and nothing will hinder the university from prospering if we elect leaders who will protect it from the hands of those who want to use it for their own selfish interests!
In our political campaigns, Let us promote and not undermine our beloved institution! Wherever I go I speak positively about the university and I am assure it will have an effect on enrolment come the main intake- August/September.

Dr. Mesharch Katusiimeh – *Introducing a new brand of politics in Sheema and beyond*!

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