MUASA wants security agencies to protect Spire from threats to his life
The association further highlights that Dr. Ssentongo, like all members of the MUASA and other academic staff in Uganda and beyond, must be afforded every opportunity to do his work without threat of harm.
Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), has demanded the IGP, Chairperson of the Joint Forces Command of Uganda, and other relevant local and international agencies, to take immediate and concrete steps to afford Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo the protection he requires, from any threats to his life and work.
This follows his last post on X formerly Twitter, where Ssentongo revealed that parliament had secretly asked the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), for all his communication details including people he talks to and their whereabouts.
The association that brings together staff at Makerere University, believes that these threats are very serious, cognizant of recent reports of detention of people incommunicado citing the murder of Lwomwa Daniel Bbosa (Ndiga Clan Head), the attempted assassination of General Katumba Wamala (Minister of works and transport) and murder of his daughter.
“We take strong exception to these threats and reiterate Dr. Ssentongo’s academic freedom and other freedoms enshrined, inter alia, in Chapter Four of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda: The Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility 1990, and the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2001 (as amended),” the press release reads in part.
The release signed by Robert Kakuru the chairperson of the association and Jude Ssempebwa the general secretary also cited Article 29 (1) (b) of the Constitution states that “Every person shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and belief which shall include academic freedom in institutions of learning” and Article 3 of the Kampala Declaration states that “No African intellectual shall in any way be persecuted, harassed or intimidated for reasons only of his intellectual work or opinions.”
The association further highlights that Dr. Ssentongo, like all members of the MUASA and other academic staff in Uganda and beyond, must be afforded every opportunity to do his work without threat of harm.
“Any attack on Dr. Ssentongo’s academic freedom is an attack on the academic freedom of all the members of MUASA and other academics in the world,” it added.
Citing Article 13 of the Kampala Declaration, the association added that, “The State is obliged to take prompt and appropriate measures in respect of any infringement by state officials of the rights and freedoms of the intellectual community brought to its attention.”
Ssentongo believes that the work that has already started may include intentions to harm him, saying that may accept to be used in evil selfish schemes, but whatever they are doing, he is aware because many people in there are not happy with the trend that they are taking.
