Orders have been issued to all security commanders at parliament especially the Special Forces Commands (SFC) to be on high alert to save the presiding officer from a mob that is planning to put the August House on fire over the allegation of abuse of office, corruption and other criminal related offences.
Highly placed State House sources told TV10 GanoMazima that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni directed Annet Anita Among the Speaker of Parliament with immediate effect to recall parliament from the unplanned recess to resume with the country’s important business especially the rationalization of government agencies which the president insists is going to help his government to cut government spending.
The President notes that many agencies are doing the same work and giving the same services offered by government ministries.
On 05th March, 2024, Speaker Among adjourned parliament sittings ‘sine die’ without indicating the date when they will resume.
But ob the morning of 14th March, 2024, Adolf Mwesige Kasaija the Clerk to parliament issued a communication to legislators that the parliament is resuming on Friday 15th March, 2024 at 10:00am.
TV10GanoMazima exclusively reports that intelligence established that Joel Ssenyonyi the Leader of Opposition in Parliament summoned an emergency meeting in his office at parliament of all National Unity Platform (NUP) legislators and from other opposition parties to plan for the Friday parliamentary sitting.
Sources divulged that even though there was a section of legislators in the meeting who voted against putting the plenary on fire as a way of forcing the presiding officer to first handle the issue of allegation of corruption, abuse of office and others by the parliament leadership, a decision was taken to do so.
Sources disclosed that Ssenyonyi himself is set to table the issue on the floor of parliament and he is very determined with support from other legislators not to allow any business to proceed until their concern is handled.
“They have a plan to jump on the floor, shouting but security is very aware of everything and we shall handle them,” one of the security bosses said.
He claims that intelligence information gathered shows that Ssenyonyi wants to put the house of fire as Winnie Kizza the former Leader of Opposition in parliament did during the passing of the controversial Age-Limit Bill.
Other legislators including those in the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party like Lwemiyaga’s Theodore Ssekikubo and Buyaga County’s Barnabas Tinkasimire are also under security surveillance.
On Tuesday, Ssekikubo and Tinkasimire put the leadership at parliament on pressure to come out and explain the ongoing allegations placed on them that they abused their public offices, and were involved in corruption practices.
Makerere University lecturer Dr. Spire Ssentongo and journalist Agather Atuhaire led the online exhibition against parliament which has a lot of dirty deals.
Parliament through Chris Obore the Director for Communication and Corporate affairs welcomed the move but cited some supposed character assassination against the person of the speaker Among and other parliament leaders.
Obore’s allegation was supported by intelligence briefs that alleged that there is a well thought out and coordinated foreign hand in the ongoing “parliament exhibition” campaign to demonize the person of the Speaker.
They claim that she is being punished because of her leading efforts to pass the controversial Homosexuality Bill which criminalises the act in the country.
They added that Gay rights activists in the United Kingdom, United States of America and some member countries in the European Union have been urging their home government to deny visas to the speaker of the Ugandan Parliament including denying her the opportunity to attend the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth in the United Kingdom.
There are allegations that Atuhaire pocketed about USD400, 000 dollars from one of the foreign consulates resident to lead the mob.
However, the strong Atuhaire rubbished the allegations insisting that her move is about fighting corruption.