By THE OBSERVER UG
The speaker of parliament Anita Among has blocked debate on corruption allegations against her.
Among who has been in the limelight over an alleged scandal about the parliamentary commission funds said she will not respond to what she called rumours. It is the first time that Among has publicly spoken about the scandal almost two weeks after the Agora Discourse under #UgandaParliamentExhibition released documents alleging corruption.
The August House has been put in the spotlight by a digital public square, Agora Discourse; Makerere University tutor, Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo; and Agatha Atuhaire (a journalist and lawyer). Through X, the activists have rallied the public to hold parliament accountable for what they described as wasteful expenditure of public tax.
The leaked documents indicate that Among has been allocating billions of shillings to herself through members of staff of the parliamentary commission. Some of the money was allegedly paid to the former leader of the opposition, now parliamentary commissioner, Mathias Mpuuga. Mpuuga has publicly accepted that he received Shs 500 million cash as a “service award”
The allegations rocked social media at the time when parliament was in recess and not sitting. As the House resumed with Among presiding on Friday, it was anticipated that the speaker would comment on the allegations against her but she did not. She instead directed that the House proceed with receiving the ministerial statements and budget estimates for the financial year 2024/2025 for scrutiny.
Realizing that Anita was about to “sweep the matter under the carpet”, outspoken Rwemiyaga MP, Theodore Sekikubo rose on a procedural matter and challenged the speaker to comment on it because the credibility of parliament was under challenge.
“I was amazed that in your communication, you didn’t make mention of the grave allegations against the institution of parliament where I belong as a member. And once this house is tarnished, I can’t sit comfortably here and we say we move on to other items. Can we have a clarification about the allegations in the media so that we take a collective position. We clean ourselves first, we’re here to perform. Article 79 of the constitution we play the oversight function. We’re taking oversight role on other institutions, the arms of government but when it comes to ourselves we want to hide it under the carpet. We need answers,” said Ssekikubo.
At the moment, the speaker seemed to have run out of patience as she tried to interject as Sekikuubo spoke.
“Honourable members, I will never, and I’m saying, I will never give you an answer on hearsay, on rumourmongering. And we’re not going to run this house on rumourmongering…Me to answer you on hearsay? On things you have cooked on social media because I have said no to ‘bum shafting’? I will not, next item,” she vowed.
The speaker seemed to blame her current woos on her role in considering and enacting the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023. A similar allegation had been raised by parliament publicist, Chris Obore. However, activists insist that the issue of homosexuality was diversionary.
Earlier, Joel Ssenyonyi, the leader of opposition in parliament implored the speaker to allow the House to debate the allegation against the institution of parliament. Ssenyonyi told the House that Among replied to his letter indicating that the earliest the parliamentary commission could sit is after 30th June 2024.
Ssenyonyi expressed dismay that the Commission last sat in August 2023 thus prolonging the meeting after June would be harmful to the matter of public interest at hand.
“Hon speaker, you have guided and informed the house that I did write to you about the commission meeting. You wrote back to me Hon speaker and said that the earliest the commission can sit is 30th June. That is the letter you wrote to me. 30th June is over six months away and today these issues continue to pile up. The commission I’m told last sat in August last year so that is actually is over a year. As a people-centred parliament, we must respond to these issues,” said Among.
Attempts by several other legislators to push Among to allow debate on the matter fell on deaf ears. Key among the financial misappropriations include the Shs 1.7 billion that the parliamentary commission awarded the former leader of opposition, Mpuuga, and three other commissioners from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
The opposition also wants a transparent explanation of how Mama Bukedea FM, a local radio station owned and situated in Among’s constituency purportedly secured a Shs 3 billion advertising contract from parliament.
Further, it’s alleged that a significant amount of money worth billions was disbursed under questionable circumstances to the private accounts of some parliamentary staff close to the speaker for community outreaches and wants lawmakers to scrutinize.
Following the social media campaign and information from a whistle-blower, Beti Kamya Turwomwe, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) said the corruption allegations levied against the institution of parliament cannot be ignored, adding that her office has already commenced inquiries into the issue.
Discussion about this post