Seven-member team named to ‘seal’ Namuganza fate
State Minister for Lands, Ms Persis Namuganza during plenary session at Parliament on December 7, 2022. PHOTO | DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- As he named the committee, Deputy Speaker Tayebwa trashed allegations peddled by sections of the public that Minister Namuganza was particularly being ‘persecuted’ and instead stated that this was being done premising on the provisions of the law.
Parliament has this afternoon named and tasked a seven-member team to investigate and conclusively rule on the allegations surrounding the said misconduct and misbehavior of the State Minister for Lands, Ms Persis Namuganza.
The Ad-hoc committee was Friday instituted by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, who chaired a special sitting that chiefly handled three matters.
The committee is to be led by the Mbarara City South legislator, Mr Mwine Mpaka, who has been instructed to deliver the final findings on the probe in 15 days and later be tabled before the entire House for debate and a final ruling.
"This Committee is supposed to be processing the motion within 15 days, this is provided for under Rule 109(10) of our Rules of procedure,” Mr Tayebwa said.
The other members of the same committee include Mr Charles Bakkabulindi, Mr Wilfred Niwagaba, Ms Betty Ethel Naluyima, Ms Nancy Acora, Mr Goffrey Ekanya and Mr Bumali Mpindi.
As he named the committee, Deputy Speaker Tayebwa trashed allegations peddled by sections of the public that Minister Namuganza was particularly being ‘persecuted’ and instead stated that this was being done premising on the provisions of the law.
“We are being commanded by the law, it is not being commanded by someone talking to me or someone whispering. We are implementing the law, the way it is. And I will follow the law, the way it is," Mr Tayebwa said.
The lead up to the naming of the committee followed a sitting of the Parliament’s Rules and Privileges committee that established that Ms Namuganza’s conduct and behavior was ‘out of order’.
In December during a plenary session, lawmakers were dismayed by the perceived refusal by Ms Namuganza to apologise to the House. To this end, the MPs resolved to collect signatures in order to kick-start the process to censure her.
The ad-hoc committee is expected to report back to the House on January 23 and a decision will be made whether Ms Namuganza is thrown out of Cabinet or maintained.
