Rukutana’s conduct before Bamugemereire was disgraceful
This has been a week of public display of bad manners in high places. First it was former VP Specioza Kazibwe constituting herself into a one woman committee to vet mourners during the burial of Busoga’s pioneer bishop Cyprian Bamwoze.
A solemn occasion to pay their respects to an icon of the Church of Uganda turned rowdy when the former VP announced that the Kyadondo East MP was an uninvited mourner!
She rebuked the youthful legislator for coming to the burial of someone he didn’t know. Yet Parliament had held a special session to honour the fallen prelate.
I wonder whether there would have been quorum if only those who knew Bamwoze had been allowed into the parliamentary chamber!
While we’re still recovering from the former VP’s faux pas, we are treated to a full scale display of solecism in front of a judge by none other than the Deputy Attorney General.
For those who don’t know, the Attorney General is the head of the bar - the number one lawyer in the country.
He is the counterpart of the Chief Justice who is the head of the bench - the number one judge in the land. This title originated when it was used to refer to a person who held a general power of attorney to represent a principal in all matters, in this case the government.
Therefore, when Mwesigwa Rukutana appeared before Justice Bamugemereire, he was not appearing in a personal capacity. He was representing the office. It was thus shocking that he appeared to take everything so personally.
According to the records, Rukutana was accused of being evasive and disrespectful to the land inquiry commission. The issue at stake is Shs24 billion that Dr Muhammad Kasasa is supposed to receive as compensation for a piece of land located in Mutungo. Under intense questioning by lead counsel Ebert Byenkya, Rukutana engaged in circumlocution.
Facing a stonewalling Rukutana, Bamugemereire called a recess to huddle with her colleagues in private. When the session resumed, Rukutana was still evasive. The recess obviously did nothing to tame Rukutana’s temperament.
He continued answering questions arrogantly and evasively.
“Can I have your word on this problem because this would determine whether we should continue with you or not,” asked Bamugemereire.
“Which word?” retorted Rukutana.
“Are you going to be respectful to this commission?” Justice Bamugemereire asked.
Rukutana didn’t wait for Bamugemereire to complete her questioning. This he had even been doing to the lead counsel who he repeatedly interrupted.
He shot back, “Look, my position is very clear. As long as I am respected, I will be respectful. If I am not respected, I will not respect anybody.”
Bamugemereire could take no more. She launched a tirade: “Okay, I think let’s stop here. Because this is not pretence. If we come here, for a person not less than a Deputy Attorney General to show this commission that we are a waste of time.”
“...this interview is over. You are dismissed and discharged. Please get out of here,” she said.
At that point any lawyer would either get up, bow and leave or ask for leave to address the judge. But Rukutana was in combat mode. He grumbled about how dismissing him was Bamugemereire’s prerogative.
Outside he continued fuming in front of the gathered journalists. “I don’t give a damn. Let them tell the President, they can even tell God,” he defiantly shouted as he boarded his posh 4X4 complete with a lead car full of armed escorts.
Opinion is mixed about the heated exchange between Rukutana and Bamugemereire. Others say she has been paid in her own currency by a regime insider while others say on balance Rukutana went overboard and in effect insulted the President who set up the commission. Unfortunately this sound and fury clouds the real issues at hand. Bamugemereire shouldn’t be distracted by theatrics.
