By Mulengera Reporters
Opposition Chief Whip Ibrahim Semujju Nganda has explained why it’s imprudent for Bugweri County MP and senior legislator Abdul Katuntu to allow his name to be used to break Parliamentary rules. Semujju says Katuntu is too big to just look on as Speaker Kadaga disregards the rules ostensibly to keep him Chairman COSASE. “I’m looking for Honorable Katuntu to sit down with him and find out if he has indeed degenerated to the level of allowing his name to be used to shift goal posts and break Parliamentary rules which is the same thing we have been complaining against Museveni,” he said. Semujju says he first saw Katuntu as a young journalist working at Parliament where he had gone to legally represent Bukanga County MP Nathan Byanyima after Sam Kutesa (who was being investigated for corruption) accused him of being bribed by his enemies to use Parliament to spoil his name. “Katuntu came with another lawyer and I can tell you they really put Kutesa in his place that morning during the committeee meeting,” Semujju recalled. “I have always respected Katuntu since that time. The other respectable lawyer I encountered as a reporter was Ben Wacha and then Adolf Mwesige. Kutesa came and said he wasn’t comfortable with Wacha the committeee chair and his Deputy Adolf Mwesige. Wacha asked Wandera Ogaro to chair the session and he walked out and ordered his Deputy Adolf to follow him as well. Those are the high standards I expect of my senior colleague Honorable Katuntu. I wouldn’t mind his vice Anita Among because that one can do anything,” Semujju said. He then referred to his own example saying it’s untrue that sticking to rules to get Katuntu out would hurt Parliamentary work regarding the BoU probe. “I was COSASE Chairman myself and I took over from Hon Amuriat whose predecessor was Honorable Reagan Okumu. I received work which Amuriat had done up to 80 percent and I was left to finish the report. In fact there was even work which had been done by Honorable Reagan and I took all the credit. They too could have said but there is this work I started on. They moved on and I don’t see why Honorable Katuntu can be different,” he said. “And by the way anyone can chair a committee. You don’t need to be very good as a lawyer or an economist. I was Chairman COSASE but we excelled because I had about 7 MPs who were extremely useful on that committeee including Hon John Ssimbwa of Makindye East.” Semujju said all the Chairman needs to be well-intentioned, convene meetings and allow members to contribute. “Of course you have alot of technical support from the staff of Parliament and that’s all.” Semujju said whereas Kadaga can, in total disregard of the rules, insist on keeping Katuntu there, she can’t force him once the Bugweri County MP takes a personal decision to say “I’m not staying on because my term is done.” Semujju said on 19th December, Kadaga wrote to him “requesting and not ordering” him to let Katuntu stay on longer. “I’m the opposition chief whip and I have decided to decline that request. She now says I’m the Speaker and I have directed. Was she not the Speaker on 19th when she wrote to me requesting?” Semujju said Katuntu should realize that any report his committee produces past it’s stipulated time and mandate will successfully be challenged in court like was done by the Amama Mbabazis through Saverino Twinobusingye to challenge Parliamentary resolutions regarding the oil bribes. “Honorable Katuntu knows better because even his report on the handshake has already been challenged in court and it can’t be implemented. It’s up to her if indeed Kadaga has decided to just waste the tax payers by MPs sitting and in the end have their reports challenged and invalidated by Court.” He said he wouldn’t waste his time going to court to challenge Kadaga’s decisions “because parliament isn’t part of my father’s estate.” For comments,call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
