UCU has many things going for it. A free flow of information isn’t always one of them.
To site a recent example, this newspaper has had difficulty getting information about UCU’s new library.
Instead of being forthright on unavoidable funding delays, one administrator told our reporter, “Don’t print that story now.” 

Huh? We would prefer not leaving the community in the dark with rumours.
Certainly UCU’s rumour mill has run wild on UCU’s future vice-chancellor. Like Chicken Little, fearful folks on campus have been screaming that the sky is about to fall, that, for one, tribalism will split this community if the new VC isn’t from outside of campus, if not Uganda, if not Africa.
Wrong. A local VC -- providing he has the needed leadership qualities -- can do a fine job. Didn’t the last US election remind us that it’s not about race, or tribe? It’s about ability.
Administration could have set a better tone by simply keeping the community informed of the process, while still maintaining its protocol and policy.
That more respectful approach boosts administration’s credibility and the mood of students and staff across the board. Conversely, rumours and fears spread like cancer.