Legislators have unanimously passed a resolution to constitute a special Parliamentary committee to investigate the Minister of Science and Innovation Dr Monica Musenero on allegations of mismanaging shs 31 billion extended to her office to facilitate the invention of a local Covid-19 vaccine.
Parliament was prompted to pass the resolution after Ntungamo Municipality MP Yona Musinguzi tabled a heap of documents containing evidence supportive of his allegations against the Minister.
The deputy Speaker Rt Hon Anita Among who chaired the House on Tuesday afternoon granted Yona’s request of providing him security following his revelations that he was getting threats.
Ms Among directed the Minister of internal Affairs to immediately give the MP armed escorts.
“As a scientist when I see masqueraders, a veterinary doctor masquerading that she can make a vaccine with money we appropriate, she uses this house to get money!! And my chair comes here to lie to the house that we have been talking about this,” Mr Musinguzi said.
“In the research and development of a vaccine, a vaccine can only be developed in a biosafety Lab Level 4. In the whole of Africa, we only have such a kind of lab in South Africa. Uganda only has a level 2 biosafety lab at the Uganda Virus Research Institute,” he added.
In his pile of accusations Hon Musinguzi said that after getting money, Musenero invited a firm PRESIDA a company which is under her directorship. “It is not registered anywhere but it is accessing huge amounts of money.”
He also claimed that PRESIDA employs Musenero’s son and husband.
The Minister as step into the investigations will be invited by the “special” committee to defend herself.
Before being appointed Minister in June, Musenero acted as a Presidential advisor on epidemic and was a member of the Covid-19 TaskForce.