Motion to Censure Muhwezi collapses as Opposition fail to collect 176 signatures

KAMPALA, UGANDA: A motion seeking to censure Security minister Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi has collapsed as the Opposition wing in parliament failed to collect the 176 required signatures.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday at the elapse of the 10-day period given to collect the signatures, Hon. Matthias Mpuuga the Leader of Opposition in Parliament said they only managed to collect 88 signatures from various legislators, leaving a standout deficit of 21 signatures from the opposition itself.

“We have not mastered the required signatures which would have been 176, and therefore, it makes the censure motion proceedings not available to us,” said Mpuuga.

“I would like to congratulate the members who were able to summon the courage to show solidarity with Ugandans whose rights have been variously abused,” he added.

According to Mr. Mpuuga, only 87 percent of Opposition members were able to sign and none of the Independent legislators did append their signature.

“The rest that did not sign from the Opposition, I cannot explain it. We did appeal to the rest of the (members in the) House because we believe the matter didn’t house any partisan banter. It was a national matter,” Mr Mpuuga said.

There are 529 legislators in Parliament. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has 336 MPs, 109 legislators are from the Opposition, while 84 are Independents.

Background

The Opposition Mps in parliament on February 10, 2022, tabled a motion seeking to censure Minister Muhwezi over increasing torture and abduction of Ugandans by security operatives, something which President Museveni himself has repeatedly condemned.

The motion followed a previous move made by Opposition legislators on February 3 to boycott plenary sittings until the government made a statement on the torture incidents in the country.

“We have resolved to invoke rule 109 of our Rules of Procedure and Article 118 of the Constitution to censure the Minister of Security because over the last one and half years, he has been receiving complaints from the public…I laid documents in Parliament in his presence over torture, forced disappearances, murders and he did not respond,” Mpuuga told journalists early this month when the motion was fronted before parliament.

Reacting to the collapsed move to have Muhwezi censured, Kira Municipality MP Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said even if they had succeeded in getting the required signatures, the process would not have ended human rights violations and torture on Ugandans.

“So even (if) we had succeeded (to get signatures), that in itself would not end torture. We shall continue with other forms, including going to the floor of Parliament,” Ssemujju said.

He added; “So Jim Muhwezi should not go out and celebrate. Internally, we will go and ask ourselves after doing an audit on who signed and who didn’t and why. I am only surprised that some of my colleagues in the Opposition didn’t sign.”

Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, the Government Chief Whip, tweeted to thank the NRM parliamentary caucus for being united on the matter.

“Despite the dedicated mobilisation, by final day the Opposition managed to raise only 88 signatures against the censure of comrade @jkmuhwezi. No single signature from NRMOnline. Over 20 opposition MPs refused to sign,” Tayebwa’s tweet reads in part.