By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
A motion for the censure of Mathias Mpuuga and the three Backbench Commissioners in the controversial service award spearheaded by, Theodore Ssekikubo, Tororo District Woman MP, Sarah Opendi, Joseph Ssewungu of Kalungu West has already registered a third of the required signatures.
This website can authoritatively reveal that by the afternoon of today, Thursday, 23rd May, 2024, the Censure motion had already received 57 signatures out of the 176 required for the motion to sail through.
Speaking to this reporter today, one of the sponsors of the motion said the 57 MPs who have signed the censure motion are mainly NRM or NRM leaning legislators since the opposition MPS have not yet started signing.
“The opposition MPs are still waiting for the Leader of Opposition to lead them in the signing process,” a reliable source intimated to this reporter.
The LoP, Joel Ssenyonyi was on Wednesday, 22nd May quoted saying the censure motion is healthy especially to NUP leadership since they had been misunderstood as having a personal axe to grind with Mathias Mpuuga, a beneficiary of the now controversial Service Awards.
Among the notable MPs who today signed the motion is Hon. Daudi Kabanda, PLU’s Secretary General. This in itself is going to put on pressure MPs subscribing to PLU to follow suit.
“Daudi Kabanda has taken a significant step today by signing papers to initiate a motion to censure four corrupt commissioners of Parliament. This move demonstrates PLU’s unwavering commitment to upholding integrity and accountability,” read a statement on PLU’s X handle.
There are about 105 opposition MPs in Parliament with NUP having 57 followed by FDC that has 31, UPC 9, and DP also with 9.
Theoretically, should all the opposition MPs sign the censure motion, then the four commissioners will be losing their coveted seats.
The censure motion movers are citing misconduct and abuse of office.
Mr Mpuuga, then Leader of the Opposition, in March 2022 negotiated and received Shs500 million as service award from the Parliamentary Commission.
The meeting chaired by Speaker Anita Among also doled out Shs400 million to each of the other three backbench commissioners Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central), Esther Afoyochan (Zombo Woman), And Prossy Mbabazi (Rubanda Woman) – all from the ruling National Resistance Movement party.
The quartet received the controversial payment on a person to holder basis even before clocking a year in office at the time, which has left the essence of the “award” questionable.
While none of the three backbench commissioners have ever spoken out on the scandal, Mr Mpuuga has put up a brave face as he wrestled his party, the National Unity Platform, and its principal Mr Robert Kyagulanyi in the mud,. insisting he was as clean as snow.
