The National Unity Platform has opted to recall their Leader of the Opposition, Mathias , from his position as a commissioner of Parliament, despite the ongoing debate regarding the legality of their decision.
In his stead, NUP has nominated Francis Zaake, the 33-year-old Member of Parliament for Mityana Municipality, who previously served on the commission but was removed due to disciplinary issues.
Mpuuga is alleged to have received Shs 500 million from Parliament as a service award, an action which NUP has labeled as corruption.
On March 7, Mpuuga was given a seven-day ultimatum to provide reasons why he should not be recalled as commissioner. The deadline lapsed on March 14.
In a statement dated March 15, NUP indicated that they had reviewed Mpuuga’s defense but remained unconvinced by it. Consequently, they resolved to recall him as commissioner.
“In light of this, NEC has resolved to recall Hon Mathias Mpuuga from the parliamentary commission on account of corruption, dishonesty, and abuse of office and to notify Parliament accordingly. NEC further resolved to nominate Hon Zaake Francis Butebi as parliamentary commissioner. This nomination was informed by the fact that he was unlawfully removed from that role in March 2022 to accommodate the questionable dealings of the parliamentary commission that have now surfaced,” NUP stated in a release issued by Dr. Lina Zedriga, NUP’s Deputy President for Northern Uganda, who is currently acting as president.
The implementation of NUP’s decision by Parliament remains uncertain, as the parliamentary rules stipulate that a commissioner can only be removed from their position by a two-thirds vote of the entire House.
However, NUP believes that since Mpuuga represents their interests in the commission, they hold the right to recall him.
Additionally, it is unclear whether Zaake, who has had a tumultuous relationship with Parliament, will be accepted for a second term. While some consider Zaake to be contentious and a troublemaker, many within NUP argue that his outspoken behavior reflects their true ideals.
Comments are closed.