Kadaga names oil probe committee, Werikhe head

By Henry Sekanjako

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaha has named a seven-man select committee to probe oil deals.

Committee members include: Makindye West MP Hussein Kyanjo, Cecilia Ogwal, Joseph Matte, Michael Werikhe  and Steven Tashobya. The committee has three months time to report back to the house. The committe will be chaired by Werikhe a former state minister for housing.

The committee’s terms of reference stem from the resolutions Parliament passed over the matter.   Parliament passed several resolutions including setting up a select committee following bribery allegations against Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, ministers Hilary Onek and Sam Kutesa.

Meanwhile, MPs who moved a motion to discuss the oil sector have given government up to Tuesday next week to ensure that ministers accused of receiving bribes in oil deals step aside and cease occupying front bench seats in parliament.

The MPs on Wednesday petitioned the Speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga demanding that government comes out with a clear position on the resolutions. 

One of the petitioners Gerald Karuhnaga (independent) said the Speaker asked the MPs to allow the President time to study their resolutions for a final ruling on the matter.

On Tuesday Kadaga told Parliament that she had sent the parliamentary resolutions on oil to the President and was waiting for his response. Under Rules 7, 22 (2) (u) and 46 (1) (k) and 195 (2) of the rules of procedure of parliament a member can be suspended from the house for contempt of parliament.

Petitioners also include MPs Theodore Ssekikubo NRM (Lwemiyaga County) Wilfred Niwagaba NRM (Ndorwa East) Abdul Katuntu FDC (Bugweri County) Nsereko Mohammed NRM (Kampala central). 

Others are Barnabas Tinkasimire NRM (Buyaga County) Nebanda Cerinah (Butaleja district) Henry Musaasizi NRM (Rubanda East)