Parliament is on Friday set to resume plenary sittings nearly 10 days after it was adjourned indefinitely amid ongoing corruption allegations against its leaders trending on social media.
Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige on Thursday, March 14, 2024, wrote to all MPs, informing them that plenary sessions will resume on Friday.
However, the order paper does not indicate any discussions on the corruption allegations. According to the order paper, the House will be receiving ministerial policy statements as part of the budget process, action taken reports and statements by ministers on different issues. The House will also conduct the re-designation of members to Committees.
Nevertheless, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, who on Monday, wrote to the Speaker, Ms Anita Among, calling for a recall of the House over corruption allegations, insisted that the Opposition will raise the issues.
“It is important that we talk about these issues otherwise we are seen to be hiding them under the carpet and when you are silent, you are presumed guilty…we shall seek to raise these issues as well so that they are addressed,” Mr Ssenyonyi said.
Also, two NRM legislators, who are considered rebels, Barnabas Tinkansimire and Theodore Ssekikubo, on Wednesday said Parliament cannot ignore the corruption allegations.
“When you raise moral issues, you are putting people in the public court and maybe that is the work of social media. For me, I would be interested in a story where somebody is going to be prosecuted. The audit would find out whether these expenses were done legally or they are just questionable, and we see if any prosecution can be done, ” Tinkasimire said.
Over the past fortnight, the allegations have raged on the micro-blogging site, X under the hashtag #UgandaParliamentExhibition. The lawyer, journalist and social justice activist, Ms Agather Atuhaire has teamed up with university don, satirist and social commentator, Mr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, and others under the Agora Discourse lobby to lead the public campaign.
Among the revelations are allegations that the Speaker of Parliament was allocated billions of shillings in questionable disbursements.
Parliament’s reputation had already come under much public scrutiny when it emerged that Shs1.7 billion was shared amongst parliamentary commissioners in an unprecedented ‘service award’. Former LoP, Mr Mathias Mpuuga is facing pressure from his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), to resign over the award of which he pocketed Shs500 million.