Kadaga denies halting UPE probe

By Moses Walubiri

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has defended herself against accusations that she allowed the recent parliamentary resolution suspending an inquest into mismanagement of UPE and USE funds to sail through the House without giving a fair hearing to the ministry of education.

While addressing journalists at Parliament on Monday, a visibly irked Kadaga said the resolution was never pushed down the government's throat since it was openly debated on the floor of Parliament.

She said Parliament reached the resolution after education minister, Jessica Alupo, told the House that she was unable to neither provide a report on the substance of the Commission's work nor comment on the adequacy of its work or efficiency within its terms of reference.

During the stormy debate that led to the suspension of the Commission two weeks ago, Alupo had indicated a lack of progress by the Commission despite government having spent sh6.3b on its investigations.

"My office has not received a single interim report on any matter within the Commission's terms of reference," Alupo told the House, adding "I have no credible progress on any terms of reference and so I don't have a substantive report to tender to Parliament."

This stirred a thundery bipartisan debate which resulted into passing a parliamentary resolution moved by Alice Alaso (Serere district) calling for the immediate suspension of the Commission headed by Justice E. Muhanguzi.

Parliament also called for a special audit by the Auditor General against the Commission of inquiry, suspension of the Commissioners for squandering public funds, freezing of the remaining sh968m on the Commission's accounts and ruled out further extension of the Commission's mandate.

The matter has since been referred to the parliamentary committee of social services for scrutiny of the Commission's operations.

However, the President, according to sources in the recent NRM caucus, was critical of MPs and the Speaker in particular for suspending such an important Commission without giving it a fair hearing, a charge Kadaga deems unfair.

"A request for the Official Hansard would have revealed what transpired including the sentiments of helplessness and expression of unawareness, by the minister, of what was happening with the Commission.

“The resolution was unanimously supported by the Executive and legislators from both sides of the House after which, the minister applauded the House for joining his Excellency the President in demanding for value for money," she said.

"It is important to note that the Speaker does not vote in the House, neither does she debate. And by referring the matter to a committee of Parliament, the House  sought  to give a chance to the members of the Commission to be heard in line with the right to a fair hearing," she added.

The committee was set up by the President on December 11, 2009 to investigate alleged misuse of UPE and UPE funds in order to improve the two government education programs.

The commission was also meant to report its findings within six months.