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39,000 voters sign petition to censure MP Silwany
The former Bukooli Central County MP, Mr Bernard Mulengani, appeals to locals of Nankoma Town Council in Bugiri District to sign the petition to recall area MP Solomon Silwany from Parliament. PHOTO | RONALD SEEBE
What you need to know:
- Leading the petitioners, Mr Abubaker Lyavala, the National Unity Platform (NUP) Chairperson for Bukooli Central County, stated they aim to collect a total of 60,000 signatures to push for Mr Silwany’s removal from Parliament before the 2026 General Elections.
At least 39,000 voters from Bukooli Central County in Bugiri District have signed a petition to censure their Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Solomon Silwany, over allegations of “misconduct, misbehavior, corruption, questioning Busoga’s integrity, and the arrest of some voters.”
The claims against Mr Silwany include remarks he allegedly made during a function in Masaka City organized by his Nyendo-Mukungwe County counterpart, Mr Mathias Mpuuga, where he reportedly stated that “Basoga are hypocrites with too much envy.”
The petitioners also highlight the recent incarceration of Mr Rogers Ngiya, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Chairperson for Bukooli Central Constituency, due to a Shs47 million debt owed to Mr Silwany (NRM). Mr Ngiya was released from civil prison on Tuesday.
Leading the petitioners, Mr Abubaker Lyavala, the National Unity Platform (NUP) Chairperson for Bukooli Central County, stated they aim to collect a total of 60,000 signatures to push for Mr Silwany’s removal from Parliament before the 2026 General Elections.
“We are looking for 60, 000 voters’ signatures and are optimistic that by next week, we shall have secured that number to be taken to Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, and copy in the President,” Mr Lyavala said in an interview on Monday.
Former Bukooli Central County MP, Mr Bernard Mulengani, emphasised that Silwany’s alleged comments questioning the integrity of Basoga violated their cultural values and the Kyabazingaship.
“The procedure is clear; Article 84 of the Election Act gives the electorate the power to censure their leaders for misbehavior. I want to assure the people of Bukooli Central County that we stand with you. No one should intimidate you; you are doing the right thing,” he stated.
Mr Silwany is also facing a motion to censure Parliamentary Commissioners, including himself and Mr Mpuuga, for allegedly awarding themselves Shs1.7 billion in illegal payments. The motion was fronted by Lwemiyaga County MP, Mr Theodore Ssekikubo.
In May 2022, the Commissioners approved a “one-time pay-off service award” of Shs 500 million for the Leader of the Opposition and Shs 400 million for the backbench Parliamentary Commissioners, a decision that sparked public outrage.
Bugiri District LC5 Chairperson Mr Davidson Mulumba remarked, “Mr Silwany has set a bad example as a Commissioner. He is the only leader in Bugiri District who fights against government programs that do not personally benefit him. The only punishment we can impose is to force him out of Parliament. It is the Basoga who should question his integrity, not the other way around, as he is not a Musoga.”
Bugiri District is primarily inhabited by the Samia and Basoga ethnic groups, with Mr. Silwany believed to belong to the Samia, although this has not been verified by this publication.
Mr John Barongo, the Bugiri District Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Publicity Secretary, added, “Before censure, Mr. Silwany should not be allowed to return to Bukooli Central Constituency to remind him that we (the voters) are his bosses.”
Ms Taaka Margret, Chairperson of the Buwunga Sub-county Women’s League, expressed concerns about the district's development, stating,
“Bukooli Central County is not progressing due to Mr. Silwany’s leadership. If you support the NRM or the Opposition but do not support him, you will not benefit from any government programs.”
