By KAMPALA – In a landmark ruling, the High Court in Kampala has upheld the decision to award UGX 1.7 billion as a service award to former Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga and three parliamentary commissioners, a decision that has sparked significant public and parliamentary debate.
Justice Douglas Karekona Singiza delivered the ruling, stating that the decision made on May 6, 2022, to grant Mpuuga UGX 500 million and UGX 400 million each to Commissioners Solomon Silwany, Prossy Mbabazi, and Esther Afoyochan, was legally sanctioned by Parliament. The judge clarified that the award had been incorporated into the national budget, presented by the executive, in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act.
Justice Karekona emphasized that the allowances for members of the Parliamentary Commission are determined by the commission itself, with necessary approval from Parliament as stipulated under Section 42 of the Administration of Parliament Act (AOPA). The court further noted that the service award was explicitly approved in the Appropriation Bill under the category of ‘Ex-gratia for Political Leaders.’
“The questioned payment was part of the Appropriation Bill under the title ‘Ex-gratia for Political Leaders’,” Justice Karekona noted. “The inclusion of this vote in the Appropriations Act indicates that the Minister of Finance had the opportunity to review it, and Parliament duly approved the ex-gratia allocation.”
Despite upholding the legality of the award, the court has directed the Secretary to the Treasury to investigate and take disciplinary action against Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige for his role in facilitating the contentious service award.
The approval of these substantial payouts has stirred controversy both within Parliament and among the public. The allocation of UGX 500 million to former LOP Mpuuga, along with UGX 400 million each to Commissioners Silwany, Mbabazi, and Afoyochan, has been met with calls for censure from several members of Parliament.
MP Theodore Ssekikubo, representing Lwemiyaga County, spearheaded a censure motion against Mpuuga and the three backbench commissioners, submitting it to Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesigwa. The motion, which garnered the signatures of 189 MPs, reflects the deep-seated discontent and demands for accountability surrounding the service award.
