Opposition MPs have rejected the sh29m given to them by Parliament to consult on the lifting of the presidential term limits.

The MPs who turned up at a press conference in Kampala with red bags laden with cash said they decided to return the money because it is ‘morally wrong’ to accept it.

The MPs, who include Ibrahim Ssemujju, Muwanga Kivumbi, William Nzoghu, Angelina Osege, Robinah Ssentongo, Ana Adeke, Betty Aol and Moses Kasibante appealed to their colleagues from both the NRM and the opposition to return the money which they believe is meant to compromise them.

Ssegona, Adeke and Ssemujju who are members of the legal and parliamentary affairs committee, which is responsible for the Parliament’s budget, said the money was not budgeted for in the 2017/2018 budget.

“It is our role as Parliament to hold all state institutions accountable in the way they use public funds. We have in the past condemned many for diverting public funds into activities that were not budgeted for. We cannot, therefore, allow Parliament to commit the same crime of misusing public funds,” Ssemujju said.

The development comes less than 24 hours after Parliament announced it had credited accounts of more than 400 MPs to do countrywide consultations on the impending amendment to the constitution to remove the presidential age limit.
But the MPs said they could not be party to a move that seeks to subtly use consultations to bribe MPs and their constituents to change the country’s constitution.

“The public thinks leaders must obtain money and bring it them. [But] a good leader must bring hard, earned money not dirty money,” said Muwanga Kivumbi, the Butambala country MP.

“We want the IGG and Auditor General to prove the source of money. We didn’t budget for it as Parliament,” he Semujju said.

Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Winnie Kizza, wondered if it was necessary for them to carry out any consultations because Police has not allowed opposition MPs to meet gatherings in the constituencies.

Chris Obore, the parliament’s director of communication, said yesterday that sh13b had been released for MPs and that both MPs on the Opposition and NRM sides would get the cash.

He said the money was removed from the accounts of Parliament from their other votes such salaries but that the Ministry of Finance would reimburse it in due course.

The private members bill championed by Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi seeks to delete article 102 (b) to remove a cap in the Constitution that bars anybody above 75 years of age and below 35 to run for presidency.

The move, however, has received stiff resistance from a number of groups, including religious leaders, the civil society and legal fraternity.

Yasin Mayanja, the Kyotera district Assistant Chief Administrative officer is missing after escaping from Police Cells were he had been detained on corruption allegations.

Mayanja was arrested on Thursday on orders of the district executive committee members on allegations of illegal sale of public land in Mutukula at the Uganda-Tanzania boarder.

Mayanja, also former secretary to Rakai district Land Board is accused of fraudulently allocating public land to private people in the new district of Kyotera without any authorization from the district.

Patrick Kintu, the Kyotera district chairperson says that accused person has also found guilty of embezzling all the money from land transactions which prompted them call in police that eventually arrested him.

“We have may people who tipped us that the CAO was obtaining money from them and issuing out awards for land titles which the district had halted until the land board is appointed,’ he told us on Friday.

However, the Kyotera district police commander Musa Kayongo confirms that the suspect escaped from Police cell with the aid of a female police officer identified as Namboozo Saida, who he allegedly seduced.

Kayongo confirms that while they are hunting for the Mayanja to face yet another a charge of escaping from police custody, they have also detained Namboozo who will be charged for helping the suspect to escape.

SEMBABULE: The Minister of state in charge of Animal Husbandry Joy Kafula Kabatsi has pour scorn on Lwemiyaga county Member of Parliament Theodore Ssekikubo for neither supporting the age limit bill nor promoting development within the constituency.

While addressing a host of NRM members in Lwemiyaga County at Ntuusi sub county head quarters on Thursday, Kabasti said Ssekikubo seemed rather displaced to offer constituents Shs 5,000 each to reject the constitutional amendment but never initiated any development program in the constituency during his term of office as MP.

“He gives you (lwemiyaga residents) shs 5,000 to support his irrational interests. He even lies that he works for the president which isn’t true.” Kabatsi told her audience that attended the meeting held in Ntuusi sub county council hall.

Notably, Ssekikubo and Kabatsi have for the past two presidential elections acted as close political allies who often toiled together towards winning parliamentary seats in Ssembabule district. However, the later has never made to parliament through an election, only for the president to appoint her a minister recently.

A fortnight ago, Ssekikubo rallied residents in the same constituency against the amendment of article 102 (b) of the constitution with an aim to preserve and protect the supreme document in the land.

However, Kabatsi wondered why Ssekikubo keep calling himself a close friend and ally of the President whom he usually stubs whenever he fronts an agenda before Parliament.

“When the president met the NRM caucus, Hon Nankabirwa asked the MPs opposing the constitutional amendment move out of the meeting in full view of the president. Even when Ssekikubo pleaded, he (President) kept on taking notes and did not at anytime to defend Ssekikubo, how then is he close to a person who cannot defend him?” Kabatsi asked.

But Ssekikubo; who enjoys overwhelming majority support from his constituency maintains that his political positions are not based of selfishness but on what he calls a true sense of patriotism.

“Actually have the will of the people of Lwemiyaga who have continued to trust me with their votes, and have always stood with me to defeat attempts of rigging their victory,” he says.

In the aftermath of the 2016 election, Kabasti who had lost Hanifa Kawooya in the parliamentary race for the Sembabule district Woman MP; presented to the press several ballot books with pre-ticked papers that had been used to rig the elections.

She alleged that together with her agents, they obtained the booklets from NRM agents who went around the district rigging for the party flag bearers including president Museveni; which according to her was a true indicator that the whole election process was a sham.

The West Buganda Diocese Bishop, Right Rev. Henry Katumba Tamale is concerned that the widespread tendencies of corruption and selfishness have abused the “Godly” values carried in the Uganda’s motto and National Anthem hence losing its real meaning.

Bishop Katumba made the remarks on Sunday, while leading the confirmation service of students at Kako secondary school, in Masaka district.

In his sermon, the prelate noted that ‘Godly’ words carried in the motto are leap services, arguing that what is currently done is in gross contrary of what the fore-fathers had while composing both the national anthem and the motto.

The words; “FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY,’ stand out as Uganda’s motto; which directly comes below the national emblem, to give a feeling of country that is guided by the creator on whose whims it is also governed.

However the bishop says the country was derailed from the generally accepted principles upon which it had initially been premised.

“Many educated Ugandans have used their pens to rob us of the resources that were meant for us all, yet the motto says for God and My Country,” Bishop Katumba said, adding:” your Christian name must be coupled with Christian acts’

He stressed that education which is devoid of God is training clever devils and urged the students to be ambassadors of Christ.

Bishop Henry Katumba Tamale of West Buganda, laying hands on Students, as confirmation into Christianity

The Bishop also urged students to speak positive about the school and work hard to have good grades so as to bring back the glory of the school. 17 students were confirmed and many students gave their life to God.

Rev Alice Kikulwe, the school chaplain tasked students to take the Bishop’s message seriously calling upon to stick to God.