Africa-Press – Uganda. A report of an investigation by Parliament’s Criminal Investigations Department that has been prepared for the Parliamentary Commission has recommended sanctions against one member of staff, and the placement of two others on a watch list.
The trio is believed to have lifted the lid on the dubious movements that culminated into the purchase of two Mercedes Benz S500s cars for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament at the cost of £520,000 (about Shs2.4b).
NRM sings maths and science, but wants us to think like cows
The report which alleged that the leakage was intended to blackmail the new leadership of Parliament as a “reprisal” by the staff for having been removed from the Office of the Deputy Speaker and the Contracts Committee of Parliament, says such draconian action “will inevitably mitigate the bad practices of sharing confidential documents to unauthorised persons with impunity”.
It is not clear whether the Parliamentary Commission has acted on the report which was signed off by the deputy parliamentary CID boss, Mr Charles Twiine.
However, if it has, it is important that it reverses any actions taken on account of the contents of that report. If it has not, it is in the best interests of Parliament and the general public that it does not move in that direction.
Besides the legal pitfalls that it is exposing itself to given the provisions of the 2010 Whistle-blowers Protection Act, which empowers the citizenry to public interest divulge information that relates to irregular, illegal or corrupt practices, such action would be a contradiction of the democracy that it is meant to symbolise.
Parliament is not just any other institution. It is a key institution in a democratic system of governance. It plays a critical role in the promotion of democracy and good governance. It performs its functions of legislation, representation and oversight with the purpose of, among others, promoting democracy and good governance.
It, therefore, follows that it cannot be the leadership of such an institution that takes to mob action based on a recommendation that impinges on the practice of democracy and good governance. That would be totally unacceptable.
The leadership at Parliament should instead be studying the public mood and sentiments and respond to growing demands by the public for greater information, involvement in key decisions, accountability and better service delivery.
Whereas Parliament has defended the expenditure on the luxury cars as justified, budgeted for, and done in accordance with the law, the economic times would have required it to put the interests and concerns of Ugandans above officiousness.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
