On Monday, as MPs prepared for the resumption of Parliament business, a few of them caucused in small groups to “catch up” on what had been happening while they were away.
One of the topics that came up was the apparent good luck that seems to follow Gomba West MP Robinah Rwakoojo, who is also the wife of the long-serving Secretary to the Electoral Commission (EC), Sam Rwakoojo.
“That woman is enjoying life,” one MP from northern Uganda whispered to his colleagues as Ms Rwakoojo passed by.
“Do you know that she is one of the 42 beneficiaries of the presidential handshake? In fact that woman got a free Shs 93 million. I don’t think she has even used her recent cash [Shs 100m] for the car.”
Occasionally, Ms Rwakoojo is driven in and out of Parliament using her husband’s official car from the EC. Indeed, as the MPs engaged in their tête-à-tête, Ms Rwakoojo made for a vehicle with the official EC number plates.
As she entered the car, the MP drove his point home, telling his colleagues, “Come and watch her board if you think I am lying to you.”
And you thought MPs do not engage in “honourable whispers” about each other!
Minister Namuganza lands in hot soup over marriage comments
The lands ministry seems to have a way of housing some colourful characters. After Aidah Nantaba’s controversial tenure at the ministry, President Museveni replaced her with Persis Namuganza, the former RDC of Luweero district.
Lately, Namuganza has attracted a lot of criticism, hatred and envy, especially from a number of fellow female politicians. When parliament was debating the public service and local government committee report, which maintained the lining up behind LC-I candidates, Namuganza found it hard to justfy why lining up behind the candidates is good.
She said: “They say it is a taboo for a wife not to line up behind a husband contesting for an elective post. Let’s see this time what happens when a woman does not line up behind the husband contesting for LC-I. In fact, when a woman does not support her husband, it means he is weak at managing even his own family.”
However, before the Bukono MP could complete her submission, a female MP from the opposition side almost went native with her choice of words.
“Sit down, you masquerader,” she shouted at Namuganza. “You are not even married. Where do you get the moral authority to speak on the institution of marriage?”
Stung by the words, a seemingly-subdued Namuganza immediately sat down without uttering another word.
Some male legislators tried to come to Namuganza’s defence, saying the opposition MP had hit the Bukono MP below the belt. But interestingly, it was fellow female MPs who were in support of the attack. Wolokoso wonders why.
Disgruntled MPs decry parliament suspension
MPs returned from recess on January 10, after a 20-day Christmas break in which some had to spend an arm and a leg to entertain their constituents, with a lot of verve and expectation at the resumption of Parliament business.
You see, when MPs sit to transact business in their respective committees, the least that a member earns is Shs 50,000 per sitting. Committee chairpersons earn honoraria that are as high as Shs 1.5 million for each individual.
So, you can imagine what was on some MPs’ minds when, shortly after Parliament resumed business, the deputy chief justice, Stephen Kavuma, issued an order blocking the House from debating the award of Shs 6 billion to 42 senior government officers who helped the government secure $700 million in tax arrears from oil companies.
Justice Kavuma’s order deflated the MPs’ expectations because its ripple effect was for Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to suspend all Parliament business. One of the MPs who could not hide his disappointment was Nakaseke South MP Paulsen Luttamaguzi, who began to describe Justice Kavuma as “Injustice Kavuma” for putting a spanner in the works of Parliament business and, consequently, the earnings of MPs in this “dry” January.
“How can a whole justice suddenly choose to turn into Injustice Kavuma? How, how, how?” an angry Luttamaguzi wondered.
Perhaps Justice Kavuma did not know the other effect of his order, but as some MPs have confessed, it has even had an effect on the legislators’ pockets.
Does MP Amoru not trust MP Temulanda?
On January 4, a section of MPs called members of the press to brief them about their interest in probing how the “presidential handshake” project came to be.
The MPs say Ugandans should know how government officials who were fully facilitated to do their work of defending Uganda in the Tullow and Heritage Oil and Gas cases later decided to demand for a handshake.
The MPs included Paul Amoru (Dokolo North), Peter Ogwang (Usuk), Sarah Nakawunde Temulanda (Mpigi Woman), Jackson Kafuuzi (Kyaka South), Michael Tusiime (Mbarara Municipality), Jacqueline Amongin (Ngora Woman), and Margaret Komuhangi (Nakasongola Woman).
During the briefing, most of the MPs spoke eloquently about the subject. However, when journalists asked for Luganda sound bites to cater for local language bulletins, Amoru asked: “Who of us can speak better Luganda?”
None of the MPs volunteered and, being the group’s leader, Amoru chose Tusiime, Komuhangi and Amongin, who have a plausible grasp of the country’s most widely-spoken language.
However, on hearing the trio speak, MP Temulanda, a Muganda, who had earlier shown no interest in giving the Luganda sound bite, decided she needed to take charge of the situation. However, before she could even complete her submission, Amoru cut in, ordering her to keep quiet and let the other three continue.
“Hon Temulanda, we don’t have time. That is enough,” Amoru said, raising eyebrows in the room. A disappointed Temulanda quietly sneaked away from the press conference, leaving many in the room wondering if Amoru didn’t trust his colleague.