Alupo snubs parliament select committee

By Moses Walubiri

MINISTER of education Jessica Alupo is running the risk of getting slapped with contempt of parliament charges following her failure to honor an invitation by a select committee probing the recent demolition of Nabagereka primary school and grabbing of public land.

Thursday's snub was the fourth in less than a month, leaving legislators with no option but to threaten invoking tough rules relating to recalcitrant witnesses that repeatedly sneer at committee summons.

The committee can choose to send parliamentary cops after Alupo since it has powers of a High Court to summon witnesses.

According to sources inside the select committee, MPs want Alupo to explain how a host of public education institutions have lost prime land to private developers under her watch.

"This committee made a resolution that we meet the minister of education to answer specific questions relating to the probe. We made this explicit in our invitation to the minister (Alupo). We have no option but to see you out of this meeting," committee chairperson, Robert Migadde told state minister for education and sports, Charles Bakabulindi.

Alupo had delegated Bakabulindi after failing to meet MPs on three previous occasions, with the latter appearing before the committee with technocrats from ministry of education in tow.

Ndorwa East MP, Wilfred Niwagaba raised a preliminary point of law objecting to Alupo delegating Bakabulindi in a matter where she was required to personally offer explanation.

Citing rule 200(3) of the parliamentary rules of procedure, Niwagaba asked: "If we invite a witness and she fails to appear, can that witness be substituted?"

Correspondences between the committee and Alupo indicate that MPs in a letter dated 9th April decried her ministry's lack of cooperation in the probe.

The lawmakers made it explicit that if Alupo, who is also the Katakwi woman MP declines to appear personally before the committee, its impending report will be written without giving her ministry a hearing.

Migade revealed that on Wednesday night, Government Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa called him over Alupo's repeated snub of the committee, promising to "convince" her to attend.

"The impression this committee has is that Alupo, even if she happens to be within the precincts of parliament is not ready to appear before the committee," Migadde said.

The committee is also set to meet Bakabulindi over a petition by 'sports fraternity' accusing him of conniving with private developers to give out part of the land belonging to Nakivubo stadium.

Appearing before the committee early this year, Executive Director Kampala Capital City Authority, Jennifer Musisi named ten schools in Kampala whose land is under threat from private developers and speculators in land.

Musisi named Buganda Road Primary School (PS), Nakasero PS, Nateete Muslim PS, Muslim Girls PS, Bat Valley PS, Nakivubo Settlement PS, Kawempe Muslim PS, and Kasubi Family PS as some of the schools whose land is under threat.

Musisi proposed that parliament prevails over Uganda Land Commission to grant titles to KCCA in respect of city public schools.

Nabagereka PS was demolished early this year by court bails over claims that the land on which the school sat had been leased to a city businessman in 2010.