Tayebwa sets up committee to scrutinize evidence in Namuganza censure case
By 23rd December 2022, over 200 legislators had appended their signatures in support of the censure.
The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, has appointed a 7-member select committee to scrutinize and identify prima facie evidence on the censure motion against Hon Persis Namuganza, the State minister for Lands in accordance with Rule 109(9) of the Rules of Procedure.
The committee formulation was made today, Friday, 6th January 2023, during the 1st Sitting of the 3rd Meeting of the 2nd Session of the 11th Parliament in Kampala, at Parliament. The Select Committee is expected to scrutinize all the evidence tabled and report back to the House within 15 days.
Members of the Select Committee are Mwine Mpaka as chairperson, Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East), Mpindi Bumali (PWD), Charles Bakkabulindi (Workers), Nancy Acora (Lamwo District), Betty Naluyima (Wakiso District) and Godfrey Ekanya (Tororo North).
Last month, Parliament considered and adopted the report of the Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Discipline recommending the censure Namuganza. The implicating report stems from an inquiry by the Committee into allegations of misconduct and misbehavior made against Namuganza.
Namuganza is accused of taking to social media and television to bash the operations of Parliament and questioning the powers and integrity of the presiding officers of Parliament to form Adhoc Committees to investigate her over the Naguru-Nakawa land allocations.
“Her statements, therefore, were an affront to the dignity of Parliament; they denigrated public trust and confidence in the integrity of the Office of the Speaker, members and the institution of Parliament and brought the House and its members into disrepute,” the report read in part.
By 23rd December 2022, over 200 legislators had appended their signatures in support of the censure. The MPs launched the censure motion following Namuganza’s refusal to apologize to Speaker Anita Among and the MPs for her handling of the matter.
A censure does not necessarily mean the removal of a minister from Cabinet but is a badge of infamy that is almost always followed with an implicated minister’s resignation.
