Mbabazi’s fate now in Museveni’s hands
In Summary
Speaker Kadaga says President to decide if PM steps aside in oil-bribery investigation as Constitutional Court is petitioned.
A spirited bid to extract an explanation as to why ministers accused of allegedly pocketing million-dollar bribes from an oil company continue to sit on the front-bench in disregard of a House resolution was yesterday sidestepped by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
Ms Kadaga instead told Parliament that she has communicated the resolutions to the Executive head of government, President Museveni. Oyam South MP Betty Amongi’s inquiry as to who is now Leader of Government Business, and what had been done to implement the resolutions of Parliament following its special session on the oil sector agreed to weeks ago, thus went unanswered during an acrimonious afternoon plenary session.
Ms Kadaga quickly proceeded to the next item on the agenda amid protests, leaving the issue firmly in the lap of the President although the specification resolution did not provide for a direct role for the President in this matter.
MPs led by Gerald Karuhanga, Felix Okot Ogong and Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda reminded Ms Kadaga of Resolution No.9 (c), requiring Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, Internal Affairs Minister Hillary Onek and Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa to step aside immediately to no avail. “We have given the government the resolutions let’s wait for them,” she said, advising members to wait for the ad hoc committee which gets constituted tomorrow.
Mr Mbabazi yesterday told reporters that he would not step aside, and as such retains his designation as leader of government business in Parliament. While Ms Kadaga had told reporters on Monday that political party caucus decisions cannot challenge resolutions of the House, some MPs yesterday said she later changed her mind after meeting ministers led by Mr Mbabazi in her office.
“What we decided here (in Parliament) last week has been taken seriously by those outside this House. It’s unfortunate that we have now decided to eat our words yet the resolutions were clear that all ministers implicated in oil deals must step aside to pave way for investigations,” Mr Karuhanga said.
The mood in Parliament was in sharp contrast to what happened on October 10-11 when Parliament held the special session on oil. Ruling party MPs, some of whom had backed investigation of the accused ministers two weeks ago, behaved like “a hired mob” according to Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo. They heckled and interrupted whoever attempted to demand the implementation of the House resolutions, prompting Ms Kadaga to abruptly close discussions.
Realising that most of the MPs who were defending the ministers were recently photographed happily sharing in a meat-roasting party during the NRM retreat in Kyankwanzi with Mr Mbabazi, Mr Okot-Ogong suggested to Ms Kadaga that they may have been unduly influenced to switch positions. Kanungu Woman MP Elizabeth Karungi and Kibuku MP, Saleh Kamba were among the most rowdy of hecklers.
All through the heated exchanges, ministers Mbabazi and Onek quietly sat on the front-bench. However, Foreign Affairs minister Kutesa, who has recently stepped aside in relation to another scandal involving the abuse of Chogm money, was not by their side.
Some respite to the hostile atmosphere was, however, provided by Finance Minister Maria Kiwanuka who moved to partly implement resolution No.5, tabling partial accountability for oil revenues the government has received since 2006 amounting to about $3.2m (about Shs9b). The rest of the accountability covering years 2001-2006 will be presented to the ad hoc committee within one month.
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