How Dr Eron changed from disability rights champion to fugitive 

Kyambogo University senior lecturer’s whereabouts remain unknown after being charged with aggravated defilement of a 16-year-old girl with visual impairment, writes YUDAYA NANGOZI.

When three institutes were merged to form Kyambogo University in 2003, Dr Lawerence Eron, 56, was among its founding lecturers. He has spent most of his academic time serving the university.

A soft-spoken and cheerful person, Eron was a gem on disability in Uganda and coordinated several projects. His vast experience as a consultant in inclusive education saw him rise through various ranks at Kyambogo.

With a PhD from the University of Oslo in Norway, he was a respected senior lecturer, dean faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation, and initiated and chaired the Institutional Disability Policy for Kyambogo. His career path has been a humble one. At least, most of the people who have worked with him told The Observer that he has been a competent person.

True to their word, his last appointment was acting deputy vice chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration – a third position in top management.

Behind his facade of scholarly brilliance, Dr Eron’s life has taken an unexpected twist that has propelled him into a fugitive given the weight of impending charges pressing down on him.

ALLEGED SEXUAL ASSAULT

It all began when he, as a coordinator of the “All we see is possibility” project, took four students to Nairobi, Kenya for a conference last year. Upon return, he dropped three students to their destinations but allegedly sexually assaulted one, a 16-year-old female O-level student with visual impairment.

As scrutiny intensified, evidence pointed towards him for engaging in the act. He absconded police bond on December 14, 2023 – a day after his case file was sanctioned for aggravated defilement when he was HIV positive and also a person in authority over the victim, contrary to sections 129(3), 4(b), (c) and (d) of the Penal Code Act.

Police spokesman Fred Enanga noted on January 22, 2024, that his three sureties; Lawrence Olobo, Gertrude Adoch, and Paul Among have been tasked to produce him before the DPC at Jinja Road police division.

Enanga appealed to the public: “…If you have any information regarding the investigation or believe you may have been victimized, please reach out to CID headquarters, KMP headquarters, or call the NOCC on 0776999136.”

At Kyambogo University, shockwaves rippled through students, academics and non-teaching staff as the once-revered don became a fugitive from the law.

One senior academic staff told The Observer: “It is a difficult time for us because Dr Eron depicted the character of a responsible and good leader. Outwardly, it was difficult to easily find faults with him. He had a caring personality and appeared to be a sincere person. However, there were rumors of him dealing promiscuously with some students at his faculty. We took it as a smear campaign because of his outward character which was good.”

Another senior staff who worked closely with him on council activities said his woes have affected the entire university community.

“There’s anger among staff because Eron didn’t only put down the reputation of the university but you cannot wear a corporate shirt and proudly talk about the university. The public thinks we are in this together, which is wrong and we condemn it. The university should expedite this case so that we cleanse our name of this matter.”

The staff also added that some female students confided in him about being sexually assaulted by Eron.

“The complaints have been coming up but for someone of his stature, they would melt away. In formal settings, if someone has not made a written submission to start investigations, you cannot pin somebody.”

While giving an update on the allegations of sexual harassment and violence against Eron in the minor’s case last week, Kyambogo University vice chancellor Prof Eli Katunguka regretted what he called an unfortunate situation. He started by appealing to all interested groups, particularly NGOs that work with visually impaired persons to desist from spreading unfounded rumours and to allow the university to handle the matter professionally.

When the victim’s matter came to light, Kyambogo was accused of being complacent and “protecting” Eron while Katunguka was castigated for witch-hunting him after launching investigations into the matter.

DR ERON FOUND CULPABLE

At Kyambogo, the investigations committee conducted an inquiry from November 13, 2023 to January 19, 2024, and handed over its report to Katunguka who conveyed it to the acting university secretary to commence disciplinary action. The same report was tabled before the Appointments Board on April 3, 2024.

“The investigations found Dr Eron culpable for gross misconduct of sexual harassment, acts or omissions that damage the image and status of the university and are unprofessional or unethical. Along the way, there have come up charges of insubordination and abscondment of duty,” Katunguka said.

He noted that since the investigations commenced, Eron has never appeared and his whereabouts remain unknown – thus absconding from duty. The willful insubordination arose after he was invited in writing through his personal lawyer and official email to appear before the committee.

He didn’t come despite giving the investigators prior assurance that he would face them. Asked why some sections of the public insisted that the case had dragged, Katunguka had this to say.

“You cannot bend to any pressure to discipline somebody or interdict them without going through the entire disciplinary process. The university has lost many cases for failure to follow the laid down procedures in its human resources manual. For being anxious to dismiss people without investigations, people run to court and get hefty awards. Dr Eron did wrong but what do our procedures say? This matter has taken some time but we are at the tail end of it now.”

Meanwhile, Katunguka said he was not aware of any other sexual-related cases against Dr Eron, but urged whoever feels aggrieved to report the matter to his office or the police. He agreed that some students or staff may be harassed and remain silent for fear of reprisals from their colleagues and perpetrators which remains a challenge to the university.

The university’s human resources manual is also weak about sexual harassment but he believes the Anti-sexual Harassment Policy – now ready for discussion by top management – will have more stringent penalties. Dr Eron is now left with one chance to appear before the Appointments Board to defend himself.

IF HE DOESN’T TURN UP…

According to Arthur Katongole, the acting Kyambogo University secretary and accounting officer, whether Dr Eron appears before the Appointments Board or not, a decision must be taken.

“We shall use all the necessary legal procedures to serve him [this week] whether he’s within the country or hiding somewhere and a response is expected [from him] within 14 days. Thereafter, we shall immediately swear an affidavit of what we have done in the service,” Katongole said.

He added: “If we fail to get him, we shall publish his service in the newspapers. If he doesn’t come, the disciplinary rules indicate that in his absence, the Appointments Board can take a decision ex parte based on the available evidence.”

Katongole explained that Eron was neither interdicted nor put on half pay then since investigations had not been completed. With the committee report, the university has withheld his full salary starting March 2024.

Eron’s role as dean, faculty of Special Needs which ended in December 2023 has been taken over by Dr Patrick Ojok who doubles as project coordinator of the “All we see is possibility” project. The Dutch government, which funds the project, agreed to maintain the project but tasked Kyambogo to change the entire leadership after the unfortunate incident.

BACKGROUND

Dr Eron Lawrence’s woes began last year when he travelled as a caretaker of four students including the 16-year-old victim to Nairobi, Kenya to attend a conference. The group returned to the country on October 12, 2023. According to the police spokesperson Fred Enanga, Eron used his car left at the airport to drop the students to their preferred destinations.

The first two students from Gulu University were dropped off at Namayiba Taxi Park while the third student disembarked at North Hall, Kyambogo University.

“He remained with the victim, who had a visual impairment, in the car (she can only see during daytime while using glasses, but cannot see at night). He drove with the victim from around 10:20pm, up to Namugongo Nsawo village, Kira municipality,” Enanga said on January 22, 2024.

Police established that along the way, the victim requested water, which was bought at a supermarket along Ndagire road, in Naalya. The victim fell unconscious after taking the water. “Upon gaining consciousness, she felt some pain around her private parts and realized she had been sexually assaulted. The sexual assault took place in the car,” Enanga explained.

The following morning, the police report indicated that her maternal uncle, drove her back to her school in Mukono when she revealed her ordeal to the senior woman teacher, who alerted the school head teacher, and the matter was reported to Mukono police.

“The victim was immediately put on post-rape treatment. The DNA samples that were recovered from the suspect’s car, a Toyota Wish, registration number UBA 349Z, matched with the samples found on the body of the victim,” reads the police report.

However, the victim also revealed that on the night of the sexual assault, Dr Eron offered her a tablet that she took on the grounds that it would be effective within 72 hours. He didn’t explain to her the reason behind taking the drug.

According to Enanga, such incidents of sexual abuse against vulnerable persons with disability revealed the dangers they face in the community. He assured the public that the police would trace Dr Eron and hold him accountable for the “heinous crime”. Two months later, the search is still on by the police and Kyambogo University.

nangonzi@observer.ug