Over 200 legislators have appended their signatures in support of the censure motion against the Minister of State for Housing, Hon. Persis Namuganza.
The Hon. John Amos Okot (NRM, Agago North County) motion on Friday, 23 December 2022 to censure Namuganza, follows on after the latter’s handling of the controversial Nakawa-Naguru land giveaway.
The ad hoc committee in their report, recommended that Namuganza steps aside for falsifying a presidential directive that saw the Uganda Land Commission allocate the said land to a section of investors.
Parliament, Namuganza is reportedly to have said, is powerless and unable to censure her in relation to her involvement in the Naguru-Nakawa land allocations.
There are 556 MPs in the 11th Parliament.
The MPs launched the censure motion following Hon. Namuganza's refusal to apologise to Speaker Anita Among and MPs for her handling of the matter.
A censure does not necessarily mean the removal of a minister from Cabinet, but is a badge of infamy that is almost always followed with an implicated minister’s resignation.
Parliament has in the past censured a couple of ministers.
To Hon. Dan Kimosho (NRM, Kazo County), one of the motion's seconders, the censure will restore the dignity of Parliament.
He said: “Some of us were inspired to join politics and later on Parliament because we thought it was high above the bar; discipline, dignity and decorum are known norms of any institution.”
MP Mourine Osoru (NRM, Arua City) said censuring the troubled minister is in keeping with safeguarding Parliament's image. She accused the junior lands minister of holding colleagues in contempt.
“She has an attitude problem with every one of us – we all look useless to her; when the Prime Minister asked her to apologise, she refused, so why can’t she resign?” said MP Osoru.
Hon. Barnabas Tinkasiimire (NRM, Buyaga West County) wanted Rule 109 suspended to have the censure run through quickly, but Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa guided that the procedure is followed to the letter and the President is notified in 72 hours as required by law.
With the ruling, the Deputy Speaker put a pause to the matter.
Minister Namuganza will have her day before MPs to defend herself against the myriad of accusations her colleagues have levelled against her.
Rules 109 of the Rules of Procedure require the Speaker to notify the President within 72 hours, and thereafter constitute a tribunal to thoroughly examine the motion, and also accord the minister a fair hearing in which herself or her advocate can make her case.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
