Resign, ethics minister urges Bumba, Makubuya

 
By Henry Sekanjako

Pressure is mounting on ministers Syda Bbumba and Kiddhu Makubuya to resign over abuse of office. In the latest development, state minister for Ethics and Integrity Simon Lukodo has asked his senior colleagues to quit before they are booted out of office.

“They should emulate former minister Kabakumba Masiko and follow what their conscience tells them to save themselves from censure,” Lukodo said.

Kabakumba resigned her post as minister for presidency following recovery of radio equipment belonging to national broadcaster, UBC at her Masindi based radio station.

 Ministers Makubuya (general duties) and Bbumba (gender and social development) are accused of abuse of office and wrongly approving compensation for city businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba.

A group of six MPs led by the eastern region Youth MP Peter Egwang on Monday embarked on collecting signatures to censure the two ministers.

Lukodo said it was in the interest of the accused persons to resign to save themselves the embarrassment of being censured.

According to MP Egwang, over 93 signatures were collected on Monday.

President Yoweri Museveni recently told the Public Accounts Committee of parliament that Basajjabalaba must refund all excess funds paid to him fraudulently and that ministers Makubuya and Bumba must take responsibility for the loss suffered by government in compensation claims.

 He added that the money paid to Basajjabalaba is sh169 billion according to police reports and not the sh142bn that PAC had in its report.