KAMPALA – A section of youth leaders under the Coalition for A Better Uganda has petitioned President Museveni, demanding for immediate inquiry into the leadership of Parliament, particularly the Speaker Anita Among.
Addressing reporters on Monday, Tanbull Akampa, the coalition national coordinator also asked President Museveni to show leadership and punish all leaders mentioned in the plundering of Karamoja relief items including iron sheets, goats, and maize flour.
Speaker Among appeared on the list of the leaders who benefited from the iron sheets alongside Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga and Karamoja Affairs Ministers Mary Goretti Kitutu. Others were State Minister Agnes Nandutu, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, and State Minister Amos Lugolobi among others.
“We want to call upon President Museveni to direct an investigation on the leadership of parliament,” he said citing ‘reliable intelligence’ that the mafia are using parliament to destabilize this country.
Akampa also claimed the leadership of Parliament is working hard to turn Ugandans against President Museveni to gain ground to overthrow him.
He asked the Speaker Among to return Karamoja relief items and resign in public interest.
“We want to call upon the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Among to return the iron sheets that were meant for Karamoja but at the sometimes resign in the public interest,” he said, the coalition would raise the needed signatures to quash her membership in Parliament.
“Parliament has now become a theatre of deal-makers instead of legislating on issues that affect common Ugandans, like unemployment, Corruption, lack of drugs in health centers, poorly facilitated UPE schools, poor roads…It (parliament) is busy swimming in scandal after scandal and now they have no moral authority to even make government account.”
He claimed that Parliament has lost its legislative direction and now the Members of Parliament are using the Anti-Homosexuality Bill to divert the public from demanding accountability.
“Let us demand for accountability and service delivery from this government. We call upon all leaders from political parties to join us in demanding for accountability and because deserve it.”
This website understands that a multi-agency team has started criminal investigations on the orders of President Museveni into circumstances under which ministers acquired iron sheets meant for beneficiaries in Karamoja sub-region.
Findings of the investigation, to be done by investigators from police, State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), could lead to the prosecution of culprits.
State House investigators last month uncovered the alleged diversion of the iron sheets and other relief items meant for Karamoja, leading to the arrest of some members of the family of line minister Mary Goretti Kitutu.
Documents seen by this newspaper show that the iron sheets were shared and removed from the stores of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), where the Karamoja ministry is domiciled, based on verbal communication and instructions via WhatsApp, a social media platform, contrary to public service standing orders.
Whereas Ms Kitutu apologized to Ugandans and the President for lack of good judgment as a result of lack of proper guidance, she proclaimed her steadfast commitment to serve Karamoja, an area lawmaker from the sub-region said she was unwelcome.
Sources said the scandal dominated Cabinet discussions before President Museveni’s trip to Algeria, with the head of state demanding answers. A number of ministers and technocrats in OPM have since recorded statements with State House investigators.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said the president has now ordered the consolidation of the ongoing inquiries into a criminal investigation.
“We are going to interact with all concerned personalities to ensure an expeditious investigation and now that we have a taskforce in place, we shall be giving progressive updates to members of the public as we proceed,” he said.
