Summary:
- Namuganza criticized figures like Mathias Mpuuga, saying, “He claimed to want to sanitize Parliament and uphold integrity, yet I don’t see his supposed sainthood now. We shouldn’t allow interference from religious or traditional leaders in this process. Corruption is an immoral act that should not be negotiated over. Our party, NRM, is losing support due to corruption. As someone against corruption, I have signed the censure motion.”
KAMPALA: Persis Namuganza, Minister of State for Housing, has urged Ugandans to vote out any Members of Parliament who refuse to sign the censure motion aimed at removing four Parliamentary Commissioners.
The commissioners who include Esther Afoyochan (Zombo District Woman Representative), Prossy Mbabazi Akampulira Begumisa (Rubanda District Woman Representative), Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central MP), and Mathias Mpuuga (Nyendo-Mukungwe) are accused of improperly awarding themselves Shs1.7 billion and an additional Shs23 million on top of their salaries without prior authorization from Parliament.
“The corruption in Parliament is unbearable. Those of us who have seen hidden documents are appalled at the wasteful distribution of funds without clear justification. I urge all MPs who haven’t signed the censure motion to do so immediately. If they don’t, I ask Ugandans to vote them out when they seek re-election, as their actions show they support corruption,” Minister Namuganza stated.
Namuganza criticized figures like Mathias Mpuuga, saying, “He claimed to want to sanitize Parliament and uphold integrity, yet I don’t see his supposed sainthood now. We shouldn’t allow interference from religious or traditional leaders in this process. Corruption is an immoral act that should not be negotiated over. Our party, NRM, is losing support due to corruption. As someone against corruption, I have signed the censure motion.”
She called on religious and traditional leaders to stay out of the censure process, asserting that corruption is too immoral to warrant negotiations. She also accused top parliamentary leaders of spreading false rumors that President Museveni does not support the censure motion, which she claims makes it seem like the President condones corruption.
Namuganza insisted that the President communicates through official letters and the NRM caucus. Since no such communication has been made, MPs should proceed with signing the censure motion.
Following complaints by Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga County) about Opposition MPs avoiding the censure motion, Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi led his team to sign it. He described the action as vindication for the National Unity Platform, which had been accused of internal conflict.
Ssenyonyi addressed journalists at Parliament, rejecting comparisons between the Shs1.7 billion service awards and authorized emoluments for leaders like the Vice President and Speaker. “These emoluments were authorized by Parliament, unlike the service awards, which were not. This is an irregularity. Leaders awarding themselves money should have proposed it in a meeting and taken it through the appropriate channels for discussion in Parliament,” Ssenyonyi said.
Martin Muzaale (Buzaaya County), a member of NRM, defended the censure motion, emphasizing its goal of upholding transparency in Uganda. “As a member of COSASE responsible for accountabilities, I signed the motion to ensure transparency. This isn’t personal; it’s about accountability,” Muzaale stated.
Ssekikubo welcomed Ssenyonyi’s support, noting that it had boosted the collection of signatures. “The appearance of the Leader of the Opposition is a significant boost. The Opposition, along with NRM, now spearheads this effort. Senior MPs must lead the way. Together we stand, divided we fall. With this momentum, we expect to close the signature collection by the end of this week,” Ssekikubo concluded.
