Prime
Tayebwa flashes red light at parliamentary leaders
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, chairs a plenary session. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
The Deputy Speaker instructed committee leaders to stay true to the oath of office they took and always report people who attempt to bribe them
The induction session of all Parliament committee chairpersons and their deputies yesterday closed with Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa issuing instructions to be followed as a means of shielding the House against temptations of corruption.
In a speech delivered in Parliament’s conference hall, Mr Tayebwa instructed the committee leaders to translate the same message to their committee members so that combined energies are mobilised to redeem the Legislative arm from the displeasing scenes of corruption on the 11th Parliament.
“We must come up and address the issue of integrity, which I know that has mostly been blown out of proportion because I know the good work that you have been doing,” he said before revealing that Parliament will, going forward, strictly demand that the government tables action taken report on all recommendations made by House inquiry reports.
“We want action taken on our recommendations and we must put our foot on ground and say [that] if we discovered A,B,C, [then] what did you do as government? Because you accuse us of corruption but we have done very good reports,” Mr Tayebwa said.
He added: “We put in a lot of efforts and it will be so important for us to ask for accountability in terms of action taken on the issues we discovered [during committee inquiries].”
President Museveni used his State of the Nation Address last month to reveal that he was in possession of evidence that a section of MPs and technical staff at the Ministry of Finance connived to alter Budget allocations in form of kick-backs from government entities.
On June 11, Police interrogated and detained three legislators; Yusuf Mutembuli [Bunyole East], Paul Akamba [Busiki County] and Ms Cissy Namujju [Lwengo District] for allegedly soliciting money from the Uganda Human Rights Commission in order to alter its 2024/2025 Budget allocations upwards.
Mr Tayebwa instructed committee leaders to stay true to the oath of office they took and always report people who attempt to bribe them without fear or favour.
“People will extort money on your behalf as chairpersons. [So] if you hear it, don’t die with it. Kindly share with us [as your leaders in Parliament] or even report to police,” he said and immediately trashed corruption allegations that were on Tuesday made against him by Aringa South legislator Alion Odria.
“If you know that you are clean, don’t bother. Honourable Alion [Odira] was pointing at me [that] you are corrupt. [But] why should I be bothered because I know myself. If he is telling me the truth, I should be bothered. [But] if it is out of his fertile imagination, [then] I shouldn’t be bothered,” Mr Tayebwa said.
His cautionary strategies are issued to MPs at a time when the public appears heavily displeased by corruption allegations that have engulfed Parliament.
On Tuesday and again yesterday, a section of youth conducted the anti-graft march to Parliament that has since led to arrest of more than 90 persons with some remanded at Luzira Prisons.
