Parliament demands answers on Alupo, Nabbanja UN teams

 The  Deputy Speaker of Parliament,  Mr Thomas Tayebwa, has directed the minister of  Foreign Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo, to present a comprehensive statement about the bloated contingent that Uganda sent to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York last month.

Mr Tayebwa issued the directive after the Shadow Foreign Affairs minister, Mr Muwada Nkunyingi, said the House should get a formal response on the matter.
Mr Muwada said since the issue was reported in the media, some of the government officials had made contradictory statements.

“I now pray that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be directed to brief this House on how the delegation was sanctioned and the purpose of each member on the delegation,” Mr Muwada said during the plenary yesterday. 

He added that the same Ministry of Foreign Affairs should “brief this House on the progress of codifying Uganda’s foreign policy to guide us [Uganda] on international engagements including bilateral engagements including the selection of who to select who could represent Uganda at such a forum. This was not the first time Uganda is being represented but we are questioning how come we had a bloated delegation that we term as a wasteful expenditure.”

Before Mr Tayebwa could rule on the request, Mr Muwada also demanded that each of the key ministers be directed to appear before Parliament and make a personal response on the matter.

In specific terms, he demanded Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, minister in-charge of General Duties Kasule Lumumba, Foreign Affairs minister Mr Jeje Odongo and his deputies, Mr Okello Oryem (in-charge of International Affairs) and Mr John Mulimba (Regional Affairs) and minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness Mr Hilary Onek to individually “make a personal statement to substantiate their role in the anomalies cited in the bloated delegation.”

In response, Mr Tayebwa said: “The shadow Foreign Affairs minister has raised an issue that has been in the media for long. So let the minister for Foreign Affairs come on Thursday [tomorrow] and explain as requested.”
He, however, said other government officials cited in the matter can only make personal statements if they want, but not under compulsion.

 “Since I have guided that the Minister for Foreign Affairs comes on Thursday [tomorrow] with a comprehensive statement on this matter, I would request that for now, we stop at that, we first get a statement because the minister who wrote the accreditation for all these people will explain what they were going to do and whether they went or not,” Mr Tayebwa added.
Parliament’s demand for a statement from the Foreign Affairs on the same comes just days after President Museveni quizzed his deputy, Ms Jessica Alupo, and Prime Minister Nabbanja over the issue. 

In the aftermath of the National Resistance Movement Parliamentary Caucus held at State House Entebbe last Thursday, the Government Chief Whip, Mr Hamson Obua, revealed that Mr Museveni had tasked the duo to provide clarity on the said trip.

Even when no clear position was made by Mr Museveni in the same meeting, the duo is said to have stated that they only travelled with a team of 10, with each of them going with only five people.