The tension at the Ugandan parliament continues to escalate as the motion to remove four commissioners, including Mathias Mpuuga, gains momentum. Despite the pressure, Mpuuga has taken a drastic measure by seeking legal action to stop the censure motion and sue the motion movers, Theodore Ssekikubo and Sarah Achieng Opendi, as well as the over 145 MPs who have signed the motion.
The controversy surrounding the Shs1.7 billion service award, exposed by the #UgandaParliamentExpo on social media, has sparked outrage and division within the parliament. Mpuuga, who received the largest share of Shs500m, has been at the center of the controversy, with his own party, NUP, passing a vote of no confidence in him and Bobi Wine suspending him as deputy president in-charge of Buganda.
However, Speaker Anita Among has refused to recall him as a commissioner, leading to the censure motion initiated by Ssekikubo and Opendi. Despite threats from the government Chief Whip and his Deputy, some NRM legislators, including Minister Persis Namuganza, have signed the motion, pushing the tally to over 150 signatures out of the required 177.
In a dramatic turn of events, Bugiri Municipality Legislator, Basalilwa, revealed in a video that he had been instructed by Mpuuga and Solomon Silwany to take legal action to stop the signature collection and sue the motion movers and signatories. This move is seen as a desperate attempt to halt the momentum of the censure motion and protect the commissioners from accountability.
The legal action has sparked debate and outrage, with many questioning Mpuuga’s motives and the timing of the move. As the drama unfolds, it remains to be seen whether the court will intervene in the parliamentary process and whether the censure motion will succeed in removing the commissioners. One thing is certain, however – the Ugandan public is watching closely, and demands accountability from their leaders.
