Censure motion in high gear, says MP Ssekikubo

“As far as the signatures are concerned, the hunting is over. But we received calls from colleagues discouraging others from signing,” he said, adding, “By early next week, the requisite notice shall be issued. However, for now, those who still want to be counted for standing up in the fight against corruption can still append their signatures,” a requirement of the 11th Parliament rules of procedure.

This publication could not verify Mr Sekikubo’s claim after he declined to share the lists, perhaps fearing that the leakage of the list could spark cloak-and-dagger tactics led by those implicated. 

The four commissioners include the three NRM-leaning MPs; Ms Esther Afoyochan (Zombo Woman), Ms Prossy Akampurira Mbabazi (Rubanda Woman), and Mr Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central) who received Shs400 million each. Former Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga (Nyendo-Mukungwe) received Shs500 million.

Ssekikubo promised that the lists would be shared next week.

“So the question [on the number] of signatures, we promised we shall be publishing so that the country can know [those MPs] who were able to append their signatures. Those who stood to be counted in the fight against corruption. We can’t hide it [the list],” Mr Ssekikubo said.

He was elated that though his pursuit of justice was littered with obstacles, it was not in vain.

“You can’t imagine how happy I am…when we do this, it is not out of malice,” he said.

The progress in the impeachment process coincides with the growing antipathy towards corruption at Parliament that has led to youth-led protests across the city this week calling for the resignation of the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, who was recently sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom for corruption.

The lawmakers will face another monumental challenge in convincing their colleagues to raise half the votes out of the 529 MPs to censure the commissioners, according to the House rules of procedure.

Rule 110 of the 11th Parliament rules of procedure provides for removing a commissioner.

“A Member of the Commission, other than the Speaker or the Leader of Government Business, Leader of the Opposition or the Minister of Finance may be removed from office by Parliament on the grounds of incompetence; misconduct; insanity; or inability to perform the functions of his or her office arising from infirmity of body or mind,” it states.

Rule 110 (2) states: “The motion for a resolution for the removal of a Commissioner shall be initiated by a notice in writing to the Clerk, signed by not less than one-third of all the voting Members of Parliament, indicating their intention to move the Motion for the removal. The notice under sub-rule (2) shall indicate the grounds for the Motion and all particulars supporting the grounds. The provisions of sub-rule (2) to (7) of rule 107 shall apply with necessary modifications, to the removal of a Commissioner.”

 The rules provide that a motion for the resolution under this rule shall be placed on the Order Paper, 14 days from the date on which notice to remove the Commissioner shall have been communicated to the Clerk and a Commissioner shall be removed upon the vote of at least half of all voting Members of Parliament.

After Parliament passed the 2024/2025 national budget in May, Mr Alion Odria (Aringa South County) and Ms Sarah Opendi (Tororo Woman) joined Mr Ssekikubo in the hunt for signatures to cause a Parliamentary sitting meant to appeal to their colleagues to support the impeachment process.

During Tuesday’s plenary, Mr Odria accused the Speaker and the deputy Speaker of attempting to shield themselves from scrutiny.

“We need to clean our names. Why don’t you want this matter to be debated on this floor? Deputy Speaker [Mr Tayebwa], we need this matter addressed. If not, we are ready to join the Ugandans. You are blocking our opportunity to debate. We were voted by our voters to come and debate. Why are running away from the [corruption] debate [as the] Deputy Speaker? Why is Anita Among running away from debate? Why? We need a Parliament which is free of corruption,” Mr Odria said.

In January, 348 lawmakers out of 529 in Parliament voted to censure Persis Namuganza, the state minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development. The vote surpassed the threshold of 265 MPs as provided under Rule 109(13) of the Rule of Procedure and Article 118(1) of the Constitution.

Namuganza was in May 2022 implicated by an ad-hoc committee in the unlawful involvement in the 142-acre Nakawa-Naguru housing estate land giveaway to some investors purportedly on the president’s directive for a satellite city.

She walked out of the meeting convened by the committee and accused the presiding officers of orchestrating a witch-hunt against her.

However, a report of the seven-member select committee chaired by Mwine Mpaka Rwamirama, the Mbarara City South MP, which was appointed by the deputy speaker on January 6, 2023, found Namuganza guilty of insulting the leadership of Parliament including the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, which lowered the decorum of the House.

During the Sixth Parliament, which was chaired by Speaker James Wapakhabulo, ministers Jim Muhwezi and Sam Kutesa were censured for corruption-related offences.

A host of ministers, including the former deputy premier Kirunda Kivejinja, who was serving in the docket of Works, Transport and Communication (1997); Mathew Rukikaire, the Junior minister for Privatisation (1999); Kabakumba Masiko, the minister for Presidency (2011); Syda Bbumba for Gender (2012) and Prof Khiddu Makubuya for Office of the Prime Minister (2012) offered to resign rather than being subjected to the humiliating censure motion.

Timeline

May 21, 2024

Mr Theodore Ssekikubo, the Lwemiyaga County MP, joined by Ms Sarah Opendi, the Tororo Woman MP, and Mr Alion Odria, the Aringa South County, kickstart the process to collect at least a minimum of 177 signatures out of a possible 529.

May 22, 2024

A signature collection-point is established at the Parliament lobby next to the entrance to the House Chambers on the South Wing.

May 23, 2024

Speaker Anita Among makes a brief stop-over at the table as she exits the House.

May 28, 2024

Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi leads a section of opposition MPs to append their signatures to Ssekikubo’s motion.

June 1, 2024

Government Chief Whip Hamson Denis Obua issues a directive calling on all NRM-leaning MPs not to sign.

June 4, 2024

Vice Chairperson of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus Herbert Kinobere re-affirms Mr Obua’s directive.

June 4, 2024

Government Chief Whip Mr Obua confronts the main architect of the planned censure motion, Mr Ssekikubo, at signature collection point at Parliament for allegedly not addressing the issue internally within the NRM party.

June 5, 2024

The Justice for Forum (JEEMA) party president, who is the Bugiri Municipality MP, Mr Asuman Basalirwa, confronts Mr Ssekikubo who is joined by the Mubende Municipality MP Mr Bashir Lubega Ssempa. Mr Basalirwa is displeased that Mr Ssekikubo had embarked on a process to probe a matter before courts of law, which ‘would conflict with the sub judice rule.’

June 6, 2024

Mr Ssekikubo and Ms Opendi collect signatures during President Museveni’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Kololo Independence Grounds, Kampala.

 June 7, 2024

Mr Ssekikubo promises to display the signatures on June 10.

June 10, 2024

Mr Ssekikubo displays lists of signatures.

June 13, 2024

President Museveni distances self from censure motion.

June 14, 2024

Mr Ssekikubo promises to formally notify the Speaker through the office of the Clerk to Parliament.

July 23, 2024

Mr Alioni Odria lashes out at the Deputy Speaker, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, for frustrating efforts to have the censure motion progress.