Tumwine, MPs clash over disciplinary probe

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Rules Committee of Parliament has once again failed to proceed with its investigation into alleged contempt of parliament by Security Minister Gen. Elly Tumwine. The stalemate came after Tumwine raised a lacuna in the process.

Tumwine had appeared for the second time before the committee to respond to allegations of contempt of parliament levelled against him by Bukonzo West MP Atkins Katusabe as well as an alleged attack on Dokolo Woman MP Cecilia Atim Ogwal.

His appearance yesterday followed a request to the committee chaired by Kalaki County MP Clement Kenneth Ongalo-Obote to first be availed with submissions made by different witnesses on the matter to aid his response.

Tumwine questioned why the setup microphones were not working and investigation proceedings not recorded. He also queried documents that had been sent to him as submissions made by witnesses saying that some of them were not signed by the Committee Chairperson, while another submission had been sent late.

The Committee Chairperson asked whether Tumwine was not willing to make his submission without the microphones.  He added that even without the microphones, the committee clerk was making a record of every submission made.

Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu asked that the committee holds a 15 minutes’ in-house discussion without Gen. Tumwine and the media concerning issues raised. On resumption, Obote communicated that the microphones had been rectified and could be used to record the day’s proceeding.

But Tumwine said he only wanted to help parliament and himself. He further questioned whether he was before the committee as a witness or a Member of Parliament representing Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), a question, which irked the committee.

Katuntu said that it was unfair for them to indulge in irrelevancies and matters belittling the Committee. Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo also cautioned the Security Minister to avoid wasting the Committee’s time.

Following statements by the MPs, Tumwine demanded that he is availed with the terms of reference for the committee, submissions by witnesses with their appended signatures and to be given one week to return and make his response.

But Katuntu and Busia Municipality MP Godfrey Macho appealed to the Chairperson not to give Tumwine the requested one week since the committee had been given a timeline of only two weeks since July, 23, to report back on its findings. They accused him of making deliberate attempts to dodge matters that need his response.

Obote ruled that Tumwine appears on Tuesday next week and cautioned that the committee would proceed with or without him.

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