The High Court in Kampala has issued a pivotal ruling concerning a controversial service award granted to former Leader of Opposition (LOP) Mathias Mpuuga and three backbench parliamentary commissioners.
In a decision by Justice Douglas Karekona Singiza, the court upheld a May 6, 2022, determination that allocated UGX 500 million to Mpuuga and UGX 400 million each to commissioners Solomon Silwany, Prossy Mbabazi, and Esther Afoyochan.
Justice Singiza clarified that the Parliamentary Commission is responsible for determining allowances for its members, with Parliament’s approval, as outlined in Section 42 of the Administration of Parliament Act (AOPA). He pointed out that the service award was sanctioned by Parliament through the Appropriation Bill, categorized as ‘Ex-gratia for Political Leaders.’
“The decision made on May 6, 2022, to award the Leader of Opposition, Hon. Matthias Mpuuga, UGX 500 million, and UGX 400 million to each of the three other Commissioners as a service award, was properly approved by Parliament and was part of the budget presented by the executive in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act,” he stated.
The judge underscored that the payment was lawfully included in the Appropriation Act, which afforded the Ministry of Finance the chance to review and scrutinize the financial allocation before Parliament’s endorsement.
While the court upheld the service awards, it also instructed the Secretary to the Treasury to investigate and potentially discipline the Clerk to Parliament, Adolf Mwesigwa, due to his involvement in the disputed payments.
The total service awards amounting to UGX 1.7 billion have ignited a debate both within Parliament and among the public, prompting demands for the censure of the awardees. MP Theodore Ssekikubo, who spearheaded the censure motion, submitted it to Clerk Mwesigwa, gathering support from 189 MPs who signed the motion aimed at removing Mpuuga and the three commissioners from their roles.
