Oulanyah rejects Select Committee on Labour Monitoring Fund

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | The Committee on Gender has been given 7 days ultimatum to scrutinize the mismanagement of the external recruitment agencies monitoring fund.

Parliament on Tuesday debated a motion by Western Youth MP Mwine Mpaka to inquire into the fund which charges Ugandans who seek employment in the Middle Eastern countries of Oman, Kuwait, United Arabs Emirates, Iraq, and Abu Dhabi among others 70 dollars as a pre-condition for employment.

According to Mwine Mpaka, more than 600 million shillings has ended up on a private bank account of Yassin Abdulaziz Musoke a labour officer based in Uganda’s Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia instead of the consolidated fund.

He says the funds and the operation of the government worker must be investigated as many people were suffering in the Middle East yet some officials were benefiting. Mpaka proposed for the establishment of a select committee to scrutinize into the fund which was set up in March 2017.

The funds are meant to cater for the operations of a transit centre at Entebbe and in recipient countries, support emergency medical services and repatriation and offer psycho-social support and legal aid among others.

Following a heated debate by members, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament rejected to establish a select committee saying Parliament didn’t have funds for the operation of a new select committee but said they will use the committee of Gender chaired by Alex Ndeezi, the MP representing people with disability.

Jovah Kamateeka, the Mitooma Woman MP called for a select committee and a thorough investigation into externalization of labour.

Oulanyah says some select committees have been set up, but to date, they have never reported because they have either failed to do investigations due to funding. He also says he has been under pressure from MPs to have their names included into the select committee.

Oulanyah forwarded the proposal to the select committee giving it seven days to report back to the house.

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