MPs pile pressure on Tumwebaze to resign

Kampala Minister Frank Tumwebaze (R)

Parliament- Legislators pushing for the impeachment of Kampala minister Frank Tumwebaze yesterday handed over their motion to the Clerk of Parliament, setting off a “cumbersome” process highly criticised by the NRM majority in the House.

At a press conference, the MPs led by the mover, Kween legislator Abdi Fadhil Kisos Chemaswet and Gerald Karuganga (Youth Western), the seconder, asked the minister to resign or risk being pushed through a censure motion.

The NRM MPs who spoke to the Daily Monitor yesterday scoffed at their colleagues pushing for the impeachment motion as “comedians”, “time wasters” and “mediocres”. Led by Peter Ogwang (Youth Eastern), James Kakooza (Kabula) and Evelyn Anite (Youth Northern), the MPs insisted that the movers of the motion lacked serious grounds for the impeachment to succeed.

“It’s not possible to impeach a minister who is following the law and I am very sure they will not raise the required 125 signatures,” Mr Ogwang said. “My colleagues are are playing politics and looking for cheap popularity.”

But Ms Chemaswet told journalists that they are not witch-hunting the minister but just want to uphold the rule of law.

Mr Karuhanga said the minister violated Article 118 of the 1995 Constitution, abused office and demonstrated “incompetence”.

When contacted yesterday, the minister said: “Instead of resorting to those threats of censure against me, they should best help their friend the former Lord Mayor [Erias Lukwago] to go and pursue his fate in court.”
“You don’t censure ministers for doing their lawful duties. That would be an abuse of the otherwise well-intentioned constitutional provision of article 118. I’m not moved and I’m not going to resign.”

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