Mushega faces sack

Dec 03, 2003

MEMBERS of the East African Legislative Assembly want East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Amanya Mushega fired.

By Henry Mukasa

MEMBERS of the East African Legislative Assembly want East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Amanya Mushega fired.

Mushega, who survived an earlier probe, is accused again of disrespect for the assembly, belittling partner states representatives, withholding vital information, missing assembly sessions and allegedly accusing members of doing nothing “but only coming to Arusha to pick their allowances.”

At the plenary yesterday, members said Mushega should be subjected to disciplinary proceedings and that the assembly petitions the summit.

Members accused Mushega of disregarding an earlier agreement to harmonise the working relationship between the two organs of the community referred to as SOPA I.

In October, the assembly held a retreat with Mushega and staff of the secretariat to iron out their differences. The retreat was held at Tarangire National Park in Sopa Lodge.

Yesterday, members were discussing a report by the General Purpose Committee on the Annual Report of the East African Community prepared by the secretariat. But neither Mushega nor a representative of the secretariat was present.

Sheila Kawamara (Uganda) wondered about the relevance of debating a report when its authors were not around.

Kawamara accused Mushega of saying EALA members “do nothing” to a delegation of Ugandan broadcasters recently.

Lydia Wanyoto Mutende tore the report to threads, describing it as a “copy, cut and paste job because most figures were similar to those in the budget of the member states.”

Wanyoto demanded a meeting with the council of ministers to address the issues between the assembly and the secretariat.

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