2 years, 10 months ago-
Rubaga North Member of Parliament, Hon Moses Kasibante, has appeared before the House Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline, as a witness where he accused Security Minister, Gen Elly Tumwine, of undermining the legislature.
MP Kasibante presented a transcript of an interview that Gen Tumwine allegedly gave to a local radio station, the Central Broadcasting Services (CBS), in which he claims the Minister spoke disparagingly about the Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga.
Kasibante said Gen Tumwine has a long history of disrespecting Parliament singling out his reported defiance against instructions to vacate Nommo Gallery, including payment of Shs1.3b to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in rent arrears.
“His compliance with the decisions of Parliament must be checked…he rubbished the order to vacate the gallery by Parliament,” said Kasibante.
Committee Chairperson, Hon Kenneth Ongalo-Obote said the witnesses are expected to furnish the Committee with details of evidence pinning Gen Tumwine over contempt of Parliament.
Ongalo-Obote said the Committee “should not be seen to be driving towards a certain conclusion but we shall be fair to all parties before any decision is made”. The Committee also viewed footage of an alleged altercation between MP Cecilia Ogwal (FDC, Dokolo) and Gen Tumwine.
In a recent plenary sitting, MP Cecilia Ogwal alleged that during the Seventh Parliament, Gen Tumwine drew a gun at her in Parliament, a claim Gen Tumwine denied.
The two later met in the opposition division lobby, where Gen Tumwine was alleged to have confronted and assaulted Cecilia Ogwal over the gun claims.
Parliament was debating a matter raised by MP Atkins Katushabe (FDC, Bukonjo West), who said Gen Tumwine belittled Speaker Kadaga at a public function.
The new claims fired up Parliament, with Gen Tumwine again being referred to the Committee for investigation over the latest accusations.
The Committee is now dealing with both contempt cases against Gen Tumwine.
Last week, Gen Tumwine held a news conference in Mbarara, where he called MP Ogwal a liar, and said Parliament condemned him unheard.
He, however, promised to appear before the Committee to defend himself against the claims.
MP Cecilia Ogwal appears Wednesday together with MP Katushabe, closing witness testimonies. Thereafter, Gen Tumwine will be expected to make his rebuttal.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga instructed the Committee to deal with the matter in two weeks.Gen. Elly Tumwine to be investigated
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has asked the House Committee on Rules to investigate Security Minister, Gen. Elly Tumwine, over comments he allegedly made disparaging Parliament.Bukonjo West County MP, Godfrey Katusabe, who raised the issue said that Gen. Tumwine made the comments when informed about the shoot-to-kill order following the deployment of the Police and army to quell riots in Kasese district when Mirama abattoir was shutdown.
Katusabe told the Plenary chaired by Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, on Tuesday, 23 July 2019 that Tumwine made comments downplaying the influence and power of the Speaker and the House, to intervene in the matter.
“Gen. Tumwine reacted and said ‘Who is the Speaker?’ This country was liberated by the military and not Parliament,” Katusabe quoted Tumwine.
Hon. Medard Sseggona (DP, Busiro East County) moved a motion to refer Gen. Tumwine to the Rules Committee for investigation.
“The Committee would take the occasion to take him through some form of induction and also inquire whether he actually made the statements,” Sseggona said.
MPs rejected a proposal by the Attorney General, Hon. William Byaruhanga, to allow the Security Minister to explain himself about the allegations on the floor of Parliament.
“The rules of Parliament are that since the allegations have been made in this House, it is our humble view that he (Gen. Tumwine) comes here and gives a response,” said Byaruhanga.
MPs said that since the comments touched the Speaker, it would tantamount to conflict of interest since she was chairing the sitting.
Hon. Cecilia Ogwal (FDC, Dokolo district) advised that the Security Minister desists from defending himself on the floor of Parliament but faces the Committee that would investigate the allegations and present a report.
The MP also said that Tumwine had pulled a pistol on her in the 7th Parliament, a case she reported to the Sergeant at Arms, who is in charge of security in Parliament.
Gen. Tumwine told MPs that he had discussed the security concerns in Kasese district with Katusabe, and that provisions to harmonize the impasse had been established.
Speaker Kadaga asked the House Committee on Rules to also investigate the concerns raised by Cecilia Ogwal on threats by the Security Minister and present a comprehensive report.
“Hon. Members, I am not happy to be in this seat today because part of the issues raised concern the office of the Speaker. The only fair thing to do is to establish whether he said those things,” Kadaga said.
Elly Tumwine confronted Cecilia Ogwal in the Parliament lobby
Dokolo Woman MP, Hon. Cecilia Ogwal, has said she was confronted by Security Minister, Gen. Elly Tumwine, while in the Parliament lobby last week.She said Tumwine accosted her following a statement she made in the House that he had pulled a gun on her in the Seventh Parliament.
“Gen. Tumwine got out of the House and found me seated by the pigeon-hole lobby with colleagues. He came to me with a lot of anger saying ‘you are a liar! I never pulled a pistol on you,'” Cecilia Ogwal said.
She made the revelation while appearing before the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline. The committee was tasked by the Speaker to investigate reports that the security minister belittled Parliament and the Speaker; and made threats to the Dokolo Woman MP.
Cecilia Ogwal read excerpts from the Hansard of the plenary sitting on Tuesday, 23 July 2019 in which she explained why she raised the matter against Gen. Tumwine.
She also told the Committee that the incident of Gen. Tumwine pulling a gun on during the Seventh Parliament followed a heated debate in the House on the subject of indoor spraying of DDT.
“He was promoting the use of DDT but we were opposing it because we wanted to protect organic farming. So when he felt that our arguments were too strong for him, his response was to hold the gun at me,” Cecilia Ogwal said.
She added that Gen. Tumwine, at the time, ‘physically attacked’ the Deputy Speaker (Jacob Oulanyah) when the latter was Chairperson of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
Cecilia Ogwal alleged that there was tampering of evidence saying, “Gen. Elly Tumwine, being the minister of security, could have ordered the tampering of the evidence as recorded by the CCTV cameras.”
The Committee Chairperson, Hon. Clement Ongalo-Obote said Cecilia Ogwal’s witness would be included in their report to the House.
Bukonjo West MP, Hon. Godfrey Katusabe, also appeared before the Committee and said that Gen. Tumwine made statements that belittled Parliament and the person of the Speaker.
Katusable said that this followed his meeting with Gen Tumwine when he approached the minister following the shoot-to-kill orders to the residents in Kasese district who were rioting over the closure of the Mirama abattoir.
“The security minister told me to tell my people to keep away from a place which is their daily source of livelihood, or else they would be shot,” Katusabe narrated.
He added that on getting a negative response from the minister, he informed him that the matter would be raised on the Floor of Parliament; the Minister then retorted by making derogatory statements about Parliament and the Speaker.
Katusabe added that he was fearing for his life following an incident where a car with armed personnel rammed into him. Hon. Wilfred Niwagaba (IND, Ndorwa East) advised Katusabe to raise the security threat on his life in Parliament so that it is on record.
Other witnesses who appeared before the Committee were Amuru Woman MP Hon. Lucy Akello and Nwoya Woman MP Hon. Lilly Adong.
The Committee now waits to interface with Gen. Tumwine before compiling a comprehensive report that is to be presented to Parliament within two weeks.
Ministerial Policy Statement
According to the Ministerial Policy Statement 2014/2015 for the Presidency, President Museveni’s Personal Assistants stand out as the most highly paid Civil servants in the Country. For Example Employee on file No.2035 Irene Wetenga Karamagi earns 96,000,000/= Monthly, No. 1941 Anna Babinaga earns 96,000,000/= per month,
N0.1932 Anite Mukabera earns 87,600,000/= monthly,
No.1918 Rhoda Acen earns 87,600,000/= monthly,
No.1849 Najjuma S.S. Farida 87,600,000/= monthly,
No.1847 Florence Hashaka Kabaheza earns 87,600,000/= monthly,
No.1845 Beatrice Nyakaisiki Byenkya 87,600,000/= monthly,
No.1233 Byamukama. B. Francis 72,000,000/= monthly,
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N0.1747 Lugaya Joel earns 67,200,000/= a month
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Rubaga North Member of Parliament, Hon Moses Kasibante, has appeared before the House Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline, as a witness where he accused Security Minister, Gen Elly Tumwine, of undermining the legislature.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has asked the House Committee on Rules to investigate Security Minister, Gen. Elly Tumwine, over comments he allegedly made disparaging Parliament.
Dokolo Woman MP, Hon. Cecilia Ogwal, has said she was confronted by Security Minister, Gen. Elly Tumwine, while in the Parliament lobby last week.
According to the Ministerial Policy Statement 2014/2015 for the Presidency, President Museveni’s Personal Assistants stand out as the most highly paid Civil servants in the Country. You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
