Court rules on service awards :Where does this leave effort to censure commissioners?
Early this year, Daniel Bwette , a private individual challenged UGX1.7 billion that was shared by four commissioners of Parliament as a service award. The Commissioners are Prossy Akampurira, the Rubanda District MP, Solomon Silwany, MP, Bukooli County, Prosy Afoyo-chan, Zombo Woman MP, and Mathias Mpuuga, former Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
Bwete's contention was that none of the parliamentary committees, nor the full House, were involved in the challenged awarding of the service awards which makes the decision not only unlawful and unreasonable but unfair. Justice Dr Douglas Karekona Singiza of the High Court found out that the vote for Ex-Gratia payments was presented in the Appropriations Bill by the Executive and passed by Parliament adding that it is probably not right for the Court to inquire into the procedure which the Executive and Parliament adopted while exercising their respective functions.
In the studio, Priscilla Nalwoga is joined by Counsel George Musisi, a human rights and public interest lawyer to help us understand the implications of the ruling.