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<\/a><\/p>\nMercy Nalugo<\/p>\n
11 December 2011<\/p>\n
\nAs efforts to censure the Minister for Presidency pick steam, Members of Parliament championing a move to censure her are now alleging that they are receiving threats to back off the matter.<\/p>\n
The legislators also say they received information alleging that the police is under intense pressure and that they are being asked to change their statements to exonerate the minister.<\/p>\n
Addressing the press at Parliament on Friday, the legislators who boasted of having surpassed the required number of signatures, said they are receiving calls from strangers and some pretending to be President Museveni asking them to spare Ms Kabakumba Masiko.<\/p>\n
“So far so good and as we speak now, the question of gathering signatures is over although the more members’ signatures we can append the better. However, our colleagues are being intimidated and others asked to submit their CVs to be given ministerial positions. Some change their names and voices pretending to be President Museveni and asking them to spare the minister,” Lwemiyaga County MP Theodores Ssekikubo, who chaired the meeting, said. He added: “Others have attempted to break into our cars and offices to steal the collected signatures but we shall not relent and the signatures are now in safe custody.”<\/p>\n
Vacant posts<\/strong><\/p>\nThere are four ministerial slots that have not yet been filled by the President after the appointed ministers failed to meet the required standards. On Wednesday, the Deputy Speaker, Mr Jacob Oulanyah, allowed Ms Masiko to give a personal statement on the allegations. However, there was no debate on her statement even as back-benchers booed her and others shouted “thief! thief!” Parliamentary rules do not allow debate on personal statements.<\/p>\n
But in what could be interpreted as a move by the NRM party leadership to save the embattled minister, its chief whip on Thursday sent SMS to MPs reading: “Hon, allegations have been made on Hon. Kabakumba. The caucus takes them seriously. Investigations are ongoing. Please wait.”<\/p>\n
By Friday, a group of 15 legislators leading a censure motion against Ms Masiko had collected at least 154 signatures, surpassing the mandatory number (125) needed to kick start the process.<\/p>\n
The planned censure motion follows a police report that UBC equipment was recovered from the minister’s private radio station in Masindi District. The minister, who oversaw the Information docket for three years and hence supervised UBC, denies any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
Petitioning Museveni<\/strong><\/p>\nThe lawmakers drafted a petition to President Museveni as required by law to cause censure of Ms Masiko over allegations that she stole government equipment from UBC.<\/p>\n
The Constitution gives the President 30 days in which to take action on the minister before Parliament acts on a censure motion. The legislators said on Friday that they would submit the censure motion to the Speaker next week as they asked minister Masiko to go for Christmas “for good.” “When she goes for Christmas, she should not come back to tempt us. She should leave office for people with integrity,” said Mr Mathias Mpuuga, the Masaka Municipality MP.<\/p>\n
Butambala District Woman MP Mariam Nalubega talked of a gutter-press campaign aimed at tarnishing the legislators’ names to scare them into giving up on their push for the censure motion as the Mukono Municipality legislator, Ms Betty Nambooze, encouraged her colleagues “to push on until the minister is out of office.”<\/p>\n
“Even if the President himself calls us, we shall not be deterred from stamping our corruption in the country,” Ms Nambooze said. But during a talk show on KFM yesterday, Ms Masiko said the MPs were telling lies as no one can call them because “I’m innocent.”<\/p>\n
“Let them produce the numbers of those people who are calling them and promising them things or threatening them,” Ms Masiko said. She added that managers at UBC should be blamed for not seeking an official contract with King’s Broadcasting Services to use the transmitters.<\/p>\n
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