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Obore back in office after more than 500 days
Speaker of the 11th Parliament Jacob Oulanyah (right) pays a courtesy visit to Parliament’s director for communication and public affairs Chris Obore at his office on May 25, 2021. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
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“The clerk called me last night (Monday) and asked me to present myself to her office. When I came today (Yesterday), she handed me the keys to my former office,” Mr Chris Obore, the Parliament director for communication and public affairs
KAMPALA. The Parliament director for communication and public affairs, Mr Chris Obore, who was sent on forced leave in 2019, returned to his office yesterday, one day after the former Speaker, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, lost her seat.
The staff at Parliament were shocked yesterday when Mr Obore stormed the House at around midday, a few hours after the new Speaker, Mr Jacob Oulanyah, had also entered office.
Many thought he was just visiting Mr Oulanyah, who is known to be in good terms with him, but Mr Obore headed towards his office on the first floor .
In an interview with Daily Monitor, Mr Obore said he received a call from the Clerk of Parliament, Ms Jane Kibirige, to go to office.
“The clerk called me last night (Monday) and asked me to present myself to her office. When I came today (Yesterday), she handed me the keys to my former office,” Mr Obore said.
“I am here seated waiting for her guidance on the next move. I do not want to [delve] into many details. That is all I can say now because you all know what happened,” he added.
A few minutes upon his return, news started circulating around Parliament. Some staff and MPs started thronging his office to welcome him.
READ: What next for Kadaga?
Background
Mr Obore was in September 2019 sent on a forced leave of 140 days, which Ms Kibirige said had accumulated since he took over office in 2015.
Sources attributed Mr Obore’s forced leave that stretched to more than 500 days to his relationship with Ms Kadaga, which had gone bad over unknown reasons.
Mr Obore’s trouble started in March 2019 when he was notified by Ms Kibirige that the Inspectorate of Government had investigated his recruitment to Parliament and established some illegalities in the process because it contravened the Parliamentary Service (Staff) Regulations, 2001.
Mr Obore ran to court after the Inspector General of Government (IGG) ordered Parliament to review his contract and the High Court ruled that his termination should be halted until the main petition is disposed of.
Parliament blocks Obore
In 2020, Parliament blocked his return from forced leave after the 140 days had elapsed saying his forced leave had been extended. His office padlocks had also been changed.
When asked about his pending case in Court, Mr Obore said he was going to be guided by the Clerk. Prior to his appointment, Mr Obore had been an investigations editor with the Daily Monitor . He undertook a task to transform the public relations of Parliament, working closely with Ms Kadaga.
