The pro-censure Members of Parliament have sharply disagreed with their colleagues on the Public Accounts Committee – PAC, on how to move forward with the petition against ministers Syda Bbumba and Prof. Kiddu Makubuya.
While the pro-censure legislators led by Eastern Youth MP, Peter Ogwang, have now collected enough signatures to send the petition to the president, PAC members led by their Chairman, Kassiano Wadri, prefer to wait until their report comes out in February.
The Ogwang group argues that waiting adds no value and they want the two ministers out of cabinet before February, in any case before the next sitting of parliament expected on February 7th.
They are moving the petition under Article 118 (3) of the Constitution, through the Speaker’s office.
Article 118 (3) of the Constitution says that proceedings for censure of a Minister shall be initiated by a petition to the President through the Speaker signed by not less than one-third of all Members of Parliament, giving notice that they are dissatisfied with the conduct or performance of the Minister and intend to move a motion for a resolution of censure and setting out particulars of the grounds in support of the motion.
Ogwang, the lead petitioner, spelt out four grounds for the petition as being abuse of office, misconduct or misbehaviour, mismanagement and incompetence. He said they will deliver it to Speaker Rebecca Kadaga on Monday.
Ogwang said they started reviewing the 185 signatures they have gathered with their lawyers to see how to move forward with it. He congratulated his colleagues for going through the last week collecting signatures without any hitch.
But Wadri has warned the Ogwang group that they risk being faced with a legal technicality that could affect their petition if they do not wait for his report and attach the gathered evidence to back it up. He said that much as he applauds the spirit of moving together against corruption, caution must be taken so as not to fall into legal traps that could fail the fight.
He wonders what evidence the Ogwang group will use against the two ministers.
Wadri says he will be ready with his main report against Makubuya, Bbumba and businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba, when the house resumes on February 7th.
The two ministers are accused of irregularly approving more than 142 billion shillings as compensation to Basajjabalaba after his contracts to manage city markets were terminated.
