Long serving Lwemiyaga county legislator Theodore Ssekikubo, Tororo District Women MP Sarah Opendi from the NRM party are the chief movers of the signature collection drive at parliament which they launched three weeks ago.
These have been rallying their fellow legislators to append their signatures on a document which will cause a motion on the floor of parliament for the removal from office of the four Commisioners of parliament Solomon Silwany [Bukooli Central], Mathias Mpuuga [Nyendo Mukungwe], Esther Afoyochan[Zombo District] and Prossy Akampurira [Rubanda District] for awarding themselves a whooping Shs1.7billion as service awards.
These contend that by awarding themselves money which is irregular, tantamount to corruption and they need to be recalled from their positions as parliamentary commissioners.
In his budget speech at the Kololo independence grounds on Thursday this week, president Museveni revealed while speaking about corruption that he doesn’t want to be involved in the removal of commissioners but he believes its also corruption.
“Corruption is very dangerous, don’t involve me in your struggles with the Commissioners, that is another matter, but it is corruption”-Museveni Said.
This statement not only rendered the directives of the Government Chief Whip to NRM legislators not to sign the censure motion ineffective but also gave momentum and caurage to other NRM MPs to sign the said motion after shying for close to three weeks.
Ssekikubo yesterday revealed that they have so far collected 164 signatures and is optimistic, the team will be able to get the remaining 12 signatures next week to cause for a motion which will lead to the removal of Mpuuga and his colleagues as commissioners of parliament.
Perennial litigant and City Lawyer Hassan Male Mabirizi also through his social media pages revealed that he had withdrawn the case he had filed in the courts of law regarding the controversial service award which has made Mpuuga and Colleagues confused with no escape route.
Before Museveni distancing himself from the commissioner saga on Thursday this week, Ssekikubo had only been able to collect 145 signatures and even released the list of those who had signed.
But by closure of business yesterday Friday 14th June 2024, the signatures had raised from 145 to 164 and they’re just 12 signatures away to hit the requirement.
Reports from the corridors of power also indicate that the NRM party is also fighting tooth and nail to recall it’s three commissioners over the irregular service award and reports suggest the party doesn’t want the censure motion to make it’s way to parliament.
Experts have already indicate that once the censure motion makes it’s way to parliament, it will be a spark to a contentious debate that will reveal and amplify the soft voices regarding corruption in the 11th parliament which Museveni has already said is aware of.