The best President Museveni can do for Uganda is to come up with a strategy to see him out of office. The long stay has greatly contributed to the decay in public administration and it is becoming a daily scandal as those serving in various positions in his Government end up party to scandals which many of them attribute to pressure from State House.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
MUSEVENI SUMMONS CABINET CRISIS MEET
“Mr Mutebile must leave office. The judgment didn’t spare him and there was no mercy. It was very clear that he needs to go.” Fr. Simon Lokodo, Ethics minister
By Emmanuel Gyezaho
Posted Monday, February 20 2012 at 00:00
In Summary
Focus on exits. NRM parliamentary caucus also summoned to discuss resignations of key ministers and plot way forward.
President Museveni has summoned his Cabinet for an impromptu meeting this morning to discuss the precarious situation his administration finds itself in following the resignation last week of two senior ministers over corruption allegations.
The meeting kicks off at 11am in the Cabinet Library at the President’s Office on Parliamentary building, this newspaper has been told.
Daily Monitor has also learnt that the President has summoned ruling NRM party lawmakers to meet him this evening at State House, Entebbe, a few hours after his Cabinet discussions.
“The secretary to Cabinet [John Mitala] sent out invitations inviting us for a special Cabinet meeting tomorrow morning [today],” said a source in Cabinet speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak on behalf of the Cabinet.
While the agenda of Mr Museveni’s meeting with the NRM Caucus in Entebbe is unclear, the source said Cabinet is expected to discuss the report tabled last week by Parliament’s watchdog committee on public accounts into the questionable approval of compensation to businessmen Hassan Bassajabalaba and retired Col. John Mugyenyi.
Ministers Syda Bbumba (Gender) and Khiddu Makubuya (General Duties) resigned after the Public Accounts Committee held them culpable of causing financial loss to the taxpayer and abuse of office for their role in approving reported inflated compensation claims in excess of Shs150 billion. IGG investigates Bbumba, Makubuya
Did Museveni fire the two ministers?
The duo’s resignation brought to seven the number of vacant cabinet posts, a development that may dent the running of government.
“There is a lot of fire on the desk of the President,” said the source, “there are as many as 10 unfilled cabinet posts out of a total of 72. It is quite obvious this matter will be there for discussion.”
With talk rife of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle, it is not clear if or how soon Mr Museveni will move to fill the vacant positions.
Bank of Uganda Governor Tumusiime Mutebile, who was indicted on similar charges as Ms Bbumba and Mr Makubuya by PAC, remains in office even though calls remain apparent for him to resign.
On Friday, Ethics minister Simon Lokodo said Cabinet is in agreement that Mr Mutebile should vacate office for his role in the deals. He said the same fate awaits former Solicitor General Billy Kainamura and his successor Ms Harriet Lwabi.
“Mr Mutebile must leave office. The judgment didn’t spare him and there was no mercy. It was very clear that he needs to go but it is his absence which has spared him,” he said of Mr Mutebile, who was reported out of the country last week.
egyezaho@ug.nationmedia.com
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