MPs accuse Kasaija of misleading them over Bagyenda

MPs have condemned finance minister Matia Kasaija for appointing former executive director of supervision at the Bank of Uganda, Justine Bagyenda, on the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) board yet she is still under investigation over money laundering.

While addressing the press at Parliament, Manjiya County MP John Baptist Nambeshe, Kasambya County MP Gaffa Mbwatekamwa and Ngora MP David Abala, vowed to block Bagyenda's reappointment.

In a letter dated May 7 to Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, Kasaija re-appointed Bagyenda to the FIA board despite the fact that she is under investigation by the FIA and the Inspector General of Government.

Kasambya County MP Gaffa Mbwatekamwa said Bagyenda is unfit because she is under investigation over alleged money laundering yet she is supposed to carry out intelligence on financial management and money laundering.

(L-R) Manjiya County MP John Baptist Nambeshe, Kasambya County MP Gaffa Mbwatekamwa and Ngora MP David Abala address the media at Parliament. Photo by Maria Wamala

"Finance minister Matia Kasaija forwarding her name to the Speaker for vetting, shows that he too is not credible and does not learn from his mistakes," Mbwatekamwa said, citing the recent error with mobile money tax that Parliament passed at 1% instead of 0.5% under Kasaija's stewardship.

"Like he said that he did not know that Parliament passed the mobile money tax at 1%, he might come back and say that he did not know that Bagyenda's name was on the list he gave the Speaker for vetting," Mbwatekamwa said.

Manjiya MP John Baptist Nambeshe said that with the high corruption levels in the country, reappointing a person with questionable integrity will accelerate the vice.

"If a person is allowed to lead offices supposed to fight corruption and money laundering, they will encourage money laundering," Nambeshe said, adding that the country's leaders should drive the country away from corruption and not back into it. 

Ngora MP David Obala said that Bagyenda should not be invited for vetting.

"Her coming for vetting means that Parliament is in support of corruption. Let her wait until all investigations are done," he said.