allAfrica.com: Uganda: NSSF - NRM On Trial Says Gen. Muhwezi (Page 1 of 2)

Rujumbura MP Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi said yesterday that the ongoing investigation of Security Minister Amama Mbabazi, who is also the secretary general of the National Resistance Movement, had put the ruling party on trial.

Mr Mbabazi, whose sale, together with businessman Amos Nzeyi, of more than 400 acres of land to the National Social Security Fund has been engulfed in controversy, has denied claims that the price of the land was inflated and that it was pushed through using political pressure.

However, Gen. Muhwezi said yesterday that the spotlight had moved from the minister to the party and how it conducts its affairs. "It is my party which is on trial in the eyes of the public," he said.

"We don't want the party to be dented," Gen. Muhwezi, a former health minister, told reporters shortly after Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo had addressed a news conference at Parliament contesting an earlier position communicated by party Chief Whip, Ms Kabakumba Matsiko, that the NRM Caucus had cleared Mr Mbabazi, who also doubles as the Security Minister.

Gen. Muhwezi, who also sits on the NRM Central Executive Committee in his capacity as the chairman of the party's veterans' league, joined the chorus of NRM MPs who have accused Ms Matsiko of misrepresenting proceedings of Monday's stormy parliamentary caucus meeting.

The MPs dismissed reports that the ruling party caucus had accepted Mr Mbabazi's defence of the allegations that he influenced NSSF into purchasing 414 acres of land he jointly owned with businessman Amos Nzeyi at a cost of Shs11 billion.

"She has misrepresented the caucus," Gen. Muhwezi told reporters.

Ms Matsiko told a news conference on Tuesday that the NRM Caucus was satisfied with Mr Mbabazi's explanation.

She said: "As a caucus, we did appreciate his explanation and the legal arguments and we have agreed that we wait for the outcome of the committee".

But Gen. Muhwezi dismissed the Chief Whip's statement, so did several NRM legislators who demanded for a retraction by Ms Matsiko. They also warned that they would petition President Yoweri Museveni, the party chairman, to intervene if Ms Matsiko does not yield to their demand.

"There was nothing to that effect because I was personally in the caucus from the beginning to the end," said Gen. Muhwezi, adding that MPs "are actually not happy."

On Monday, Mr Mbabazi presented a 28-page defence of the controversial land transaction to the ruling party MPs, denying any wrong-doing and indicated that NSSF had gotten a "good deal". This was the first time that an NRM top official was being quizzed before party structures over involvement in stormy deals.

Ms Matsiko could not be got for comment by press time but Mr David Bahati, a member of the NRM caucus executive committee, said the Chief Whip did not clear Mr Mbabazi.

"She was very clear, that we shall wait for the recommendations of the committee," Mr Bahati said, in reference to the Committee on Commissions and State Enterprises that is investigating the deal. The Auditor General and the PPDA are also investigating the matter. "To appreciate doesn't mean to accept," the Ndorwa West MP said in defence of the Chief Whip.

Mr Muhwezi yesterday said Ms Kabakumba's assertions have only served to put MPs "in bad light" because "there was no way we could take such a decision before investigations are complete."

Asked whether the Mr Mbabazi was at fault in the land transaction, Gen. Muhwezi said although Mr Mbabazi "could have meant well", the general impression created was damaging the party and the government.

"We, as Parliament, cannot decide for or against Mbabazi when the legal proceedings in the committee are still ongoing," said Gen. Muhwezi. "The committee was mandated to carry out the investigations so it is very wrong for us to sit and purport to speak on behalf of the party when the report is not yet out," he added.

Gen. Muhwezi had on Monday questioned the caucus' impartiality, accusing the NRM MPs of double standards, for giving Mr Mbabazi, a chance to explain himself, while he (Muhwezi) and former minister Mr Mike Mukula were never allowed to respond to claims that they embezzled Gavi funds.

At the press conference yesterday, Mr Ssekikubo who spearheaded the petition to bring Mr Mbabazi before the NRM MPs, described Ms Matsiko's statements as unfortunate and said the caucus passed no resolution on Mr Mbabazi's explanation. "For her to say that it was cleared was just out of excitement and not the general picture of all the members of the party," said the Lwemiyaga MP.

He added that all the three options given to Mbabazi during the caucus meeting - to resign, refund the NSSF cash and regain his land, or further defend himself - are still open and "the choice is still his."

web allafrica.com	Enter your search terms	Submit search form
OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine

Relevant Links

Relevant Links

East Africa

at a Glance

Today's Most Active Stories