Kuhes bullying probe report awaits council

 The release of a report on a probe into allegations of student bullying at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (Kuhes) is awaiting appointment of the university’s new council, it has emerged.

In a written response to our inquiry, Kuhes registrar Christopher Namagowa said the independent task force submitted the report to the council whose mandate expired on July 11, meaning there is no council to release the findings.

He said: “The report was presented to the council, and it is still on the council’s desk. Unfortunately, the tenure for Kuhes council ended on 11th July 2024. Presently, we are waiting for the appointment of the new council”.

Kuhes launched an investigation in February this year after the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) reported that some academic staff members bullied students and ‘manipulated’ results leading to the withdrawal of several bachelor of medicine bachelor of surgery (MBBS) students.

A task force was instituted to investigate the matter and submitted a report to the council within 30 days.

The report was submitted last month.

The affected former students, who were invited to a hearing in March this year, have since expressed fear that the report may be tampered with to protect the image of the university and the staff involved.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the concerned students wondered why t h e university council should review a report produced by an independent task force.

“We fear there may be an attempt to tamper with the report. We will not allow that,” said the student.

The student’s concern is shared by other aggrieved students.

According to these sources, during the inquiry they were promised that the report would be out after 30 days.

The PIJ report, showed that between 2017 and 2022, out of 157 students withdrawn from the university on academic grounds, 49 percent were from MBBS programme.

Members of the task force are from Kuhes Council, Medical Council of Malawi, Medical Doctors Association of Malawi, Malawi Human Rights Commission and Malawi Health Equity Network, among others.

The university registrar, however, declined to explain why the council wants to review a report from an independent task force, saying: “It’s hard to answer on behalf of council”.