MPs snub IGG's meeting

At 8:30am, 15 minutes before the meeting was officially opened, MPs were nowhere to be seen.

The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Irene Mulyagonja was today forced to call off her interface with Parliament after the law makers failed to show up.

The IGG had invited the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Local Government Accounts Committee (LGAC) and the Committee on Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) for a dialogue themed, ‘Syndicated Action against Syndicated Corruption for Improved Service Delivery’.

To the organisers’ dismay, by the time the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, officially opened the meeting at 8:45am, only Mbarara Municipality MP,  Micheal Tusiime and a handful of journalists were present.

Due to the poor turn up, the participants and organizing officials decided to go for breakfast that was scheduled for 10:30am at 9:00am.

When they resumed, only about 8 of the over 40 MPs that form COSASE had showed up.

Kadaga in her remarks didn't make mention of the anomaly but COSASE vice chairperson, Anita Among explained during her presentation that LGAC members were on a field trip to Northern Uganda while PAC members had not indicated why they will not show up.

IGG Irene Mulyagonja, Ethis Minister Simon Lokodo and MP Anita Among were locked in discussion about ending the meeting early. Photo by Mary Kansiime

A lot of what was set up for the day went unused. Photo by Mary Kansiime

"Friday is a tricky day for us even at Parliament because it's when some committees go for working visits while others are busy in constituencies, so we should consider that in the next schedule," Among advised.

When the ethics and integrity minister Simon Lokodo took to the podium, Mulyagonja requested him to officially close the meeting that was scheduled to last the whole day, at 11am.

According to the day’s program that Lokodo described as “mismanaged arrangement”, the meeting was supposed to start at 8:00am and end at 4:00pm.

Mulyagonja argued that, it was of no essence to go on with the meeting without a significant number of targeted participants being present.

She assured those present that the Inspectorate of Government's office will organise another meeting as soon as possible.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and Mulyagonja addressing the media after the meeting was closed. Photo by Mary Kansiime

Some MPs were seen arriving while others moved out, but they didn't hesitate taking the sh150,000 transport refund.

The Cost

The IGG's deputy spokesman, Farooq Kayondo told New Vision that he could not establish specific figures of how much they had spent on the flopped event because their funders, (Strengthening Uganda's Anti-corruption Response) made direct payments to Kabira Country Club in Bukoto where the meeting was hosted.

However a quick investigation showed that Kabira charges $37.17 (about Shs137,529) including breakfast and lunch for each person attending a an event of more than 11 people.

New Vision was unable to establish if the facility offers refunds for failed functions. Each Parliament committee has a membership of more than 20 people.