MPs now want Mpuuga, three commissioners impeached over Shs1.7b service award

Kampala, (UG):- A section of MPs led by Lwemiyaga County legislator, Hon Theodore Ssekikubo have tabled a motion before Speaker Anita Among calling for the impeachment of four back-bench Commissioners for sharing Shs1.7bn taxpayer’s money disguised as service award.

The four commissioners who now face the wrath of disgruntled MPs include former Leader of Opposition Hon Mathias Mpuuga (Nyendo – Mukungwe), Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central), Prossy Mbabazi Akampurira (Rubanda Woman MP), and Esther Afoyochan (Zombo Woman MP).

Hon Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga), together with Kalungu West MP, Hon Joseph Ssewungu Gonzaga and Tororo Woman MP, Hon Sarah Opendi, Patrick Nsamba Oshabe (Kassanda North) and Yorke Alioni Odria (Aringa South) say the commissioners have been given enough time to resign by themselves in vain, hence the decision to mobilize the fellow legislators to have them out of office through a censure motion.

 “On several occasions, I was asking the speaker to give us an in-house talk about commissioners and she was promising but doing nothing, because these became gluttons, enjoying food and money for nothing,” Hon Ssewungu told the house on Tuesday afternoon.

“We want these commissioners out of the office and then we shall follow the money and we have all facts. We shall use all the possible ways to get these people out of office,” he added.

Mr Odria in his submission said “We are not going to promote acts of corruption in this Parliament of Uganda. We have advised the four commissioners to resign [but] up to today they have refused to resign. We are now taking action. It is time that MPs must be seen to take action.”

The legislators further argued that the impeachment of the four commissioners would restore the waning public trust in the institution of Parliament.

“We are cognizant the removal of those aforementioned commission members will restore the dignity of Parliament and also maintain and strengthen the public trust and confidence in the integrity of the institution of Parliament,” Mr Ssekikubo said.

Adding that; “this is the time to say no to the diversion of public funds for personal aggrandizement and I call upon all Members of Parliament to support this motion but commissioners can also choose to resign before this motion comes for them.”

The four commissioners came into the public spotlight at the start of this year following reports that they sat and shared Shs1.7 billion as a service award.

Reports indicated that the former Leader of the Opposition, Mr Mpuuga received Shs500 million while the other three commissioners from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) received Shs400 million each.

The quartet received the controversial payment on a person-to-holder basis even before clocking a year in office at the time, which has left the essence of the “award” questionable.

While none of the three backbench commissioners have ever spoken out on the scandal, Mr Mpuuga has put up a brave face as he wrestled his party, the National Unity Platform, and its principal Mr Robert Kyagulanyi in the mud,. insisting he was as clean as snow.