By Patrick Ochan
President Museveni is said to be in high spirits waiting to see where the alleged saga involving commissioners of parliament including former LoP Mathias Mpuuga will end. In fact, this is the reason he is yet to come out to issue a statement on the same although a strongly worded letter is said to be in the pipeline.
To begin with, Mpuuga according to Inspectors is said to be facing a double jeopardy because even members of opposition especially FDC are said to be silently baying for his political blood accusing him of having ‘killed’ the Walk to Work protests also baptized as A4C/4GC where he was the coordinator.
“I can assure you, many in opposition mainly FDC are secretly mobilizing against him in parliament and outside so that he leaves that office” said an inspector.
It is not clear how he allegedly frustrated their efforts but we’re told Mpuuga allegedly abandoned the cause at the height of protests and concentrated on saving his business empire which had been threatened by the state. The license for one of his reported businesses had allegedly been threatened with revocation unless he softened on his stance.
This is the reason some claim his beak was wetted although it could be a point of malice against him.
But whether true or not, Inspectors said when the ugly allegations against him and the commission came through the #UgandaParliamentExhibition, the President received it with open hands as he struggles to clean his government and free it of corrupt officials.
Inspectors told this website that the recent NRM CEC chaired by Moses Kigongo resolution in which members condemned the reapportionment of NRM parliamentary commissioners wasn’t by any mistake.
We’re told it was a message signaling anger among members about how tax payer’s resources are being used in parliament.
The CEC Members we’re told had already gotten wind of these issues. It is therefore, no wonder that a few days after the resolution, the exhibition started and Mpuuga also started seeing hell from NUP bosses who asked him to resign accusing him of having pocketed Shs500m illegally from Parliamentary Commission baptized as Service Award. His other colleagues in the Commission shared a staggering Shs400m each.
Mpuuga however, insists the cash was lawful but his pursuers in NUP now want him impeached.
With this impeachment hovering over his head, Inspectors said Museveni camp is watching closely as it plays out.
But even as they watch, we’re told the system is also interested in using it to gauge the numerical strength of Mpuuga who is said to be close to one of the speakers.
“When commissioner Francis Zzaake and minister Persis Namuganza were being forced out, MPs voted overwhelmingly in favor of the speaker’s side. Is this still the position numerically? Will the speaker/deputy use his/her influence to save Mpuuga? This will give us a picture guage his/her support and how loyal MPs towards each of them” explained an inspector adding that all along, Museveni has been waiting for such a day to come and therefore, Mpuuga’s troubles are a blessing in disguise.
Inspectors said Mpuuga’s decision to declare a boycott of Parliament for a month when the deputy speaker Thomas Tayebwa was in the chair only to call it off when his boss returned left the system scratching it’s heads.
“Is this a sign of leadership deffiencies on the side of deputy speaker or it’s a sign that his boss commands a lot of influence among members including the opposition and Mpuuga as a person? This Mpuuga saga is a test now on who will allow the other to sink in light of a very angry nation arising from the alleged corruption in parliament” explained an inspector.
We’re told this Mpuuga saga puts Parliamentary Commissioners including those of NRM in a tricky position which if Mpuuga finally is kicked out of the Commission, leaves them in muddy waters.
“If NUP succeeds in removing Mpuuga from the commission, it raises a moral and legal question on the side of the members of the Parliamentary Commission which also extends to the heart of NRM CEC where one of the resolutions was that the NRM commissioners were irregularly reappointed” explained an inspector.
It is stated that not only this Mpuuga saga if it succeeds ties the hands of the NRM commissioners but also extends to the leader of the Commission.
“This means the same CEC may decide to moot a motion in the caucus to have them recalled and refer them to the disciplinary committee. MPs have been putting pressure on the executive to fight corruption and this is why some ministers have been arrested and prosecuted. But if they (MPs) are also involved, why can’t they be reprimanded” said an inspector. However, parliament maintains the alleged swindle was a lawful expenditure. Watch this space!
