Justice Mwondha has upset me!
Apr 05, 2009
EDITOR—The negative reaction of the Inspector General of Government, Justice Faith Mwondha, is disappointing.
EDITOR—The negative reaction of the Inspector General of Government, Justice Faith Mwondha, is disappointing.
She knows that it is a constitutional requirement that she appears before a parliamentary committee for approval of her re-appointment but she has ignored it! Mwondha seems to have wrongly construed the delay by the head of public service to effect her appointment as demeaning her achievements.
It was justifiable for Mr. Mitala to seek the proper interpretation of article 223(4) from the Attorney General before implementing the instruction.
It is good the Attorney General’s interpretation of the article was that the IGG’s reappointment has to be approved by Parliament. Literally that is what the article means. Actually her reappointment is neither automatic nor an entitlement but just a possibility.
Secondly, her reaction shows some degree of contempt of Parliament which is the voice of the people of Uganda. Mwondha should know that institutions in a democratic setting normally operate with some checks and balances.
No government institution should have the liberty to exercise absolute powers as the IGG seems to imply. I remember once she was called upon to defend the budgetary submissions from her department before the budget parliamentary committee but she similarly responded negatively and just sent her deputy.
While I appreciate the work she has so far done in combating corruption, which obviously would justify her reappointment, I call upon her to show some respect to other institutions.
Fighting corruption cannot be successfully done in isolation. It requires teamwork and collective responsibility.
Mark Muwanguzi
Mbarara
She knows that it is a constitutional requirement that she appears before a parliamentary committee for approval of her re-appointment but she has ignored it! Mwondha seems to have wrongly construed the delay by the head of public service to effect her appointment as demeaning her achievements.
It was justifiable for Mr. Mitala to seek the proper interpretation of article 223(4) from the Attorney General before implementing the instruction.
It is good the Attorney General’s interpretation of the article was that the IGG’s reappointment has to be approved by Parliament. Literally that is what the article means. Actually her reappointment is neither automatic nor an entitlement but just a possibility.
Secondly, her reaction shows some degree of contempt of Parliament which is the voice of the people of Uganda. Mwondha should know that institutions in a democratic setting normally operate with some checks and balances.
No government institution should have the liberty to exercise absolute powers as the IGG seems to imply. I remember once she was called upon to defend the budgetary submissions from her department before the budget parliamentary committee but she similarly responded negatively and just sent her deputy.
While I appreciate the work she has so far done in combating corruption, which obviously would justify her reappointment, I call upon her to show some respect to other institutions.
Fighting corruption cannot be successfully done in isolation. It requires teamwork and collective responsibility.
Mark Muwanguzi
Mbarara