Prime
Ministers respond to infighting allegations in trade ministry
Left to right: Ministers Harriet Ntabazi (State, Trade), Mr David Bahati (State, Industry), Mr Francis Mwebesa (Trade, Industry and Cooperatives) appear before Parliament’s Committee on Trade, Tourism and Industry yesterday. PHOTO | DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- The ministers made the statements before Parliament’s Committee on Trade, Tourism and Industry chaired by Mr Mwine Mpaka (Mbarara City South).
Four ministers from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives yesterday presented personal statements regarding allegations of in-fighting and procurement discrepancies in the ministry.
The ministers made the statements before Parliament’s Committee on Trade, Tourism and Industry chaired by Mr Mwine Mpaka (Mbarara City South).
The officials include the minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr Francis Mwebesa; the State Minister for Industry, Mr David Bahati; the State minister for Trade, Ms Harriet Ntabazi; and the State minister for Cooperatives, Mr Fredrick Ngobi Gume.
It is alleged that the ministers alongside Ms Geraldine Ssali, the Permanent Secretary at the Trade ministry are fighting among themselves over issues related to power and money.
During the meeting, Mr Mpaka, among others, asked the officials to give an update on the fights.
“There seem to be groups and camps and whatsoever. I don’t know how you are going to sort those issues as honourable ministers,” he said.
Ms Ntabazi, however, said: “To tell the truth, there is no fight between any of us. One of our duties is to supervise and in the way of our supervision, when I ask for information and ask questions, for instance, when something is not coming out clearly maybe out of not following the right procedures, that is not a quarrel.”
She added: “And so for the media to capture that maybe there are fights, really? For example, I have never fought with my PS or any technical staff but sometimes we can disagree on principles, procedures that one can happen because not all people think the same…So that one is clear, I have never fought with [Mr] Bahati.”
On the issue of the renovation of Farmers’ House on Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala, where the ministry’s offices are located, Mr Mwebesa said it was partly his idea to proceed with the exercise instead of renting space in Kingdom Kampala, a multi-purpose building in Kampala.
Part of the money for the renovation was drawn from the supplementary budget worth Shs54 billion that Parliament approved during the financial year 2021/2022.
“Proposals were made to either rent Kingdom [Kampala] plaza or any other nearby building. At the end of the day, I took my own initiative to say that we cannot go to a building called kingdom. The nature of the people who come and do business with us are people from the rural areas [and] that building is so magnificent and highly-priced,” he said.
“I don’t expect someone who comes from Kayunga or any other [rural] part of this country to come looking for the Minister of Trade for a licence at the magnificent building. On that one, I said no,” Mr Mwebesa added.
While interfacing with other staff from the ministry, the committee was informed that it could cost the ministry about Shs8 billion annually to rent space at Kingdom Kampala yet renovating their offices at Farmers’ House would cost about Shs6.2 billion.
The need to rent was motivated by the dilapidated state of the ministry offices.
Mr Gume added that there is a need for additional space and offices to accommodate the needs of the newly appointed ministers.
Meanwhile, Mr Bahati denied allegations that he spent a lot of the ministry’s money and resources on personal matters.
“I participate in mobilising these resources but when it comes to the application of these resources it is the role of the accounting officer to make sure that they are spent,” he said.
Mr Mwine concluded that the intention of the committee is to come up with said from the probe, one that will not be challenged.
