The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party has slammed parliament for blocking the removal of Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, from the parliamentary commission over corruption allegations.

Speaker Anita Annet Among in a letter dated March 25 rejected NUP’s decision to recall Mpuuga as commissioner of parliament and replace him with Mityana municipality MP Francis Zaake. The party nominated Mpuuga to the commission in January 2024 after dropping him as the leader of opposition (LoP) in the 11th parliament, a position he held for two and a half years. Nakawa West representative, Joel Ssenyonyi, has since replaced him.

On March 18, NUP secretary-general Lewis Davis Rubongoya wrote to the speaker, communicating the decision of the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) to withdraw Mpuuga on grounds of corruptly receiving Shs 500 million in service award from the parliamentary commission.

But in her reply to Lubongoya’s letter, Among rejected the decision, quoting legal restrictions and procedural deficits that undermine provisions of the Administration of Parliament Act, Section (2), Capt 257, and Rule 11 (4) of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament that govern the appointment and removal of parliamentary commissioners.

“The role of parties under the law is limited to nominating candidates for election to the office of commissioner of parliament. Once elected by parliament, the commissioners so elected cease to serve individual party interests and serve parliament as a whole,” Among pointed out.

Among emphasized that Section 4 of the Administration of Parliament Act dictates that a member of the commission shall cease to hold office on vacating his or her seat following Article 83 of the Constitution, while Section 5 of the law unequivocally provides for their removal.

“Parties lack the requisite mandate to recall a commissioner of parliament once elected by parliament… to do as you requested would amount to fettering the authority vested in the House,” the speaker noted.

In response, Rubongoya asserted that when NUP communicated to parliament the decision to withdraw the mandate given to Mpuuga as commissioner, it was alive to the fact Among would seek to protect him. 

“Her ways are therefore well known.. in any case Among chaired the parliamentary commission that illegally and immorally allocated Shs 500 million to Mpuuga,” he reasoned.

Further, Rubongoya contends that NUP’s communication to the speaker was meant to be on record to communicate to parliament their disapproval of corruption, and abuse of office among others.

“When the parliamentary commission engages in more forms of corruption as it surely will, no wrongdoing shall be imputed on NUP. At least for now, the nation knows that Mpuuga no longer represents us on the commission,” Rubongoya concluded.

Notably, while addressing a press conference at parliament on Tuesday, Mpuuga clarified that he has no intention to step down from the mandate, reiterating that he will not quit the party for whatsoever reason.

Meanwhile, the secretary general of Mpuuga’s mother party, Democratic Party (DP), Dr Gerard Siranda Blacks observed that the Administration of Parliament Act and Rules of Procedure of Parliament parties are unfair to political parties which undermines the principles of multi-party dispensation in the country.

He proposed expedited amendments to some provisions of the Administration of Parliament Act 1997, and the House’s Rules of Procedure 2012 to let parties exercise control over members who are nominated to be withdrawn at will.

In 2018, the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) faced the same dilemma as it sought to withdraw Abdul Katuntu, the then chairperson of parliament’s committee on commissions, statutory authorities and state enterprises (Cosase) to replace him with Kawempe South MP, Mubarak Munyagwa.

Similarly, in August 2020, Mpuuga’s own attempt to remove Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the Gulu City West representative as chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee – PAC Local Government and replace him with Kilak South MP Gilbert Olanya equally hit a dead end.