Makerere University has responded to renewed social media allegations by Hanifah Nakiryowa against her former husband, Dr Faisal Buyinza, a senior academic at the university who was previously charged over a 2011 acid attack on Nakiryowa.
The university stated on Thursday, October 1, after Nakiryowa shared a series of videos online recounting the attack, her marriage to Buyinza and allegations of abuse and sexual harassment.
Makerere did not name Buyinza in its statement but said it had noted “serious concerns raised publicly through social media video posts regarding the conduct of a member of staff.”
The university said it takes matters concerning the safety, dignity and welfare of students, staff and visitors seriously.
“Makerere University maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and any form of misconduct that threatens the well-being of members of the University community,” it said.
The 2011 acid attack
Nakiryowa was attacked with acid on December 11, 2011, at Mugenyi Flats on the Makerere University campus. She and her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter sustained burns, and Nakiryowa suffered severe injuries to her face, including damage to her eyes and nose.
At the time, Nakiryowa accused Buyinza, then a Makerere economics lecturer and her husband, of arranging the attack following disagreements in their marriage.
Buyinza denied the allegations.
Prosecutors subsequently charged him with attempted murder, alleging that he had masterminded the attack. Nakiryowa testified in court that she had separated from Buyinza and had gone to collect their children after he asked her to return to their home.
She said that while she was outside the house, an unidentified person approached her and poured a liquid on her face.
The case was discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions in July 2014 after the prosecution failed to produce additional witnesses. Only Nakiryowa and her father had testified by that point, according to contemporary reports.
The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court subsequently discharged Buyinza. He had denied the allegations throughout the proceedings.
Allegations return to social media
Almost 15 years after the attack, Nakiryowa has revived the case through social media and a recently released biography titled Hanifah.
In her videos, she again accuses Buyinza of arranging the attack and makes additional allegations about her experience with him while she was a student at Makerere.
Among her claims is that he withheld marks belonging to her and some of her friends until they agreed to date him. She also alleges that he failed to support their children’s education.
In one video, Nakiryowa said: “This gentleman is the reason I look like this today. He is still a lecturer, still manipulating young women. Beware. It has been 15 years, and now it is my moment of truth.”
She also questioned his continued position at Makerere.
“We are talking about a PhD holder and head of department in a national university; he has educated masses. But do you know that he is not responsible for educating his own children?” she said.
The allegations circulating online include claims about the 2011 attack, alleged abuse during their marriage and alleged sexual misconduct while Nakiryowa was a student.
The renewed discussion has prompted Makerere’s public response, although the university has not said that it has opened disciplinary proceedings against Buyinza or confirmed that Nakiryowa has filed a new formal complaint.
Makerere calls for formal complaints
The university said allegations of sexual harassment and other misconduct are handled under its Safeguarding Policy, Policy and Regulations Against Sexual Harassment and staff disciplinary procedures.
“These are designed to ensure that any formal complaints received are investigated thoroughly, fairly, and confidentially, while upholding the principles of natural justice and due process for all parties,” Makerere said.
It urged students, staff and visitors with concerns to report through the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, the Office of the Dean of Students or MakSafeSpace, its online reporting platform.
The university also said counselling and professional support are available through its Counselling and Guidance Centre.
Makerere said it would continue strengthening its systems for prevention, reporting and accountability.
Buyinza currently serves in Makerere University’s College of Business and Management Sciences. The university’s profile lists him as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economic Theory and Analysis.
Nakiryowa later founded the Centre for Rehabilitation of Survivors of Acid and Burns Violence (CERESAV), an organisation working with survivors of acid violence and burns. The organisation’s account of her history says she was attacked in 2011 after leaving a seven-year marriage.
The renewed allegations remain allegations. Buyinza was never convicted in the 2011 attempted-murder case, which was discontinued by the DPP in 2014. Makerere has not publicly determined whether the new allegations are substantiated.
The university said it would continue strengthening its systems for prevention, reporting and accountability.
