Prime
Ex-minister Mwesige applies for UHRC job
Former Defence minister Adolf
What you need to know:
Mr Adolf Mwesige, who did not contest for the MP seat, was dropped in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.
Former Defence minister Adolf Mwesige has defended his decision to apply for a job at the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC).
Mr Mwesige asked President Museveni to consider him for either the position of chairperson or member of UHRC in a June 10, 2021, letter, a copy which Daily Monitor has seen.
“Some people are already attacking me as if I have committed a crime. They are claiming that I am begging and kneeling for a job. But, it’s not what I am doing,” he told Daily Monitor yesterday.
“Rather, I am simply in a professional manner writing to the President that I am interested in particular work especially because my term expired in Parliament while that in Cabinet and was not renewed. There is nothing wrong expressing interest in a job,” Mr Mwesige added. Besides, the former Bunyangabu County MP in the 10th Parliament said, he did not leave Cabinet on bad terms.
“I also don’t have a criminal record and for that matter, I can either apply or request to be re-deployed. I don’t see any fraud here and it is up to the appointing committee to decide. I am not fighting to displace anybody. I simply saw a vacancy and opted to apply,” he said
Mr Mwesige in the letter also reminded the President of his decision to quit elective politics and serve in government in other capacities. Mr Mwesige lost in the NRM primaries last year.
“In my letter to Your Excellency dated 2nd October, 2020, I had informed you of my decision to quit elective politics and serve the government in any capacity that Your Excellency will find appropriate to deploy me in the years to come,” Mr Mwesige wrote.
He added that his application came after receiving reliable information that there were vacancies of chairperson and other commissioners at UHRC, which the President is mandated to fill under Article 51 (2) of the Constitution.
The position of the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission fell vacant in November 2019 following the death of Meddie Kagwa.
Vacant positions
The positions of two other Commissioners fell vacant after one resigned to join Parliament in and another’s term of office expired in 2018. On May 10 this year, Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi told Parliament that the Minister for Justice had written to President Museveni on December 7, 2020, recommending the appointment of the UHRC leadership. “ We await the appointment of the chairperson and the two members to the Commission,” Mr Kafuuzi told the House.
