Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa has yet again dragged the Minister of State for Housing, Persis Namuganza to the Committee of Rules, Privileges and Discipline for investigations after she was accused of bashing and demeaning Parliament after lawmakers recommended for her sacking over her role in the Nakawa-Naguru land saga.
The Deputy Speaker’s Wednesday, July 13 directive followed revelations by Solomon Silwany (Bukholi Central) that Minister Namuganza has been engulfed in an intense media campaign where she has made it her latest hobby to bash the operations and how parliament conducts its work and asked Deputy Speaker to summon Namuganza to clarify on her complaints against Parliament.
“When you refer to rule 190 gives the speaker powers to form an ad hoc committee and see however the minister was seen on TV questioning the integrity of this House whether they have authority to form ad hoc committees and whether they have powers to initiate,” said Silwany.
In May 2022, Parliament adopted recommendations of the Ad hoc Committee on the Naguru-Nakawa land and recommended to the executive to hold several current and former ministers and whom included former Minister of State for Lands Namuganza for directing Uganda Land Commission to allocate land to entities and individuals who were later found to be non-existent.
Government took the decision to reclaim back the to 142 acres from Opec Prime Properties Ltd after failing to construct 1,747 residential units within 10years, as they had promised when they received the land in 2007 at the former Nakawa- Naguru Housing Estate.
Silwany’s complaint was similar to opening a can of worms where MPs ganged up against Namuganza accusing her of arrogance and among these included her former Cabinet friend Sarah Opendi (DWR Tororo) accusing Namuganza of making several social media posts saying the ad hoc committee was used to fight her.
“She said these so called ad hoc committees of parliament. She also posted that ad hoc committees are created in bad faith. So I wonder whether you, the speaker, in creating these ad hoc committees whether you create them in bad faith and you create them to fight other people. I am not the kind of person who can be used to fight others,” lamented Opendi.
Asuman Basalirwa (Bugiri Municipality) also joined the gang pointing out that Parliament adopted the report of the ad hoc committee unanimously, with recommendations to have Namuganza fired and there was therefore no reason for summoning her while she still held the position.
He said: “The fact that she didn’t step aside and she is continuing to denigrate the image of parliament speaks volume. I am not sure whether inviting her here will even serve the purpose because this parliament indicted her. Is it procedurally right for this parliament to summon someone it indicted to explain herself.”
Not to miss out on the mob was Maurice Kibalya (Bugabula South) argued that when MPs debate reports in this parliament, they do so in the interest of the public and warned Namuganza against capitalising on her position in cabinet to demean Parliament.
“The Minister was heard one day saying parliament has no power over her, parliament can’t impeach or censure her and that parliament can’t do anything against her. This is the same spirit and arrogance that some of these people are having. Much as some of these people are Ministers, they must remain answerable to this parliament,” ranted Kibalya.
However, Ibrahim Ssemujju (Kira Municipality) warned lawmakers against turning the legislature into a mob to gang up against its members or the public that criticize decisions made by Parliament.
He argued: “I want to ask for forgiveness if I offend anyone. I am against parliament sometimes acting like a mob. I am also against the behavior of thinking that the decisions of parliament can’t be criticized. We criticize the executive, we criticize the judiciary. If there is a particular rule that the member has offended those who are baying for her blood should tell us, and I am not encouraging members to go and attack parliament, but I am against parliament acting as a mob.”
However, Deputy Speaker Tayebwa fired back saying: “There is a difference between criticism and belittlement, we don’t fear criticism, we are criticized everyday that is part of our work and criticism sometimes helps us to redefine what we are doing.”
He also argued that the most important duty MPs have is to protect the integrity and independence of Parliament, warning that the day lawmakers lose out on that, then they would have lost their plot.
“The moment we get positions and they end up misleading us that we are untouchable, then the decisions we make as a house will never be respected. If a member feels aggrieved we have an opportunity to come here and make a statement of personal explanations,” said Tayebwa.
In his ruling, Tayebwa argued that following the rules of natural justice that require the accused to be heard, he directed Namuganza to the Committee of Rules where she would be required to exercise her privilege.