Movement Caucus to meet today over Commonwealth summit report

Oct 20, 2010

THE NRM Caucus is scheduled to meet today to discuss how to handle the debate on the Commonwealth summit accountability report in which some Cabinet ministers have been accused of misappropriating funds.

By Madinah Tebajjukira

THE NRM Caucus is scheduled to meet today to discuss how to handle the debate on the Commonwealth summit accountability report in which some Cabinet ministers have been accused of misappropriating funds.

Parliament on Tuesday started the debate on the public accounts committee probe report on the funds used during the Commonwealth summit held in Kampala in 2007.

According to the report, over sh500b was spent on the summit. The Government had initially planned to spend only sh270b.

The party’s chief whip, Daudi Migereko, declined to divulge details.

He, however, said the meeting would be held at State House Entebbe.

“This report affects us as government. We have to agree on how to debate and who must debate. If we don’t prepare ourselves, the opposition stands a great advantage, given the current division within the party,” a source said.

Meanwhile, the opposition also held its caucus meeting yesterday to brainstorm on the same report.

The major findings in the report included critical roads not repaired in favour of private properties, irregularities in procurement of cars, inflated costs in the beautification projects, roads, media and publicity.

Most of the cases were referred to the Inspectorate of Government and the Police Criminal Investigation Department for more investigations.

The report recommends the prosecution of vice-president Prof. Gilbert Bukenya and other senior Cabinet ministers, including Sam Kutesa (foreign affairs), Amama Mbabazi (security) and John Nasasira (works), Mwesigwa Rukutana (education) and Hope Mwesigye (agriculture) for abuse of office.

The report further recommended action against former ministers Dr. Ezra Suruma and Ham Mukasa as well as interdicted works chief engineer Sam Bagonza.

However, Mukasa was exonerated by the committee on Tuesday during the first day of the debate.

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