On Tuesday President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who authorized imbursement of shs 6 billion to 42 government officials as ‘a hand shake’ faced off with NRM MPs who are equally irked by his actions like most Ugandans. Museveni acknowledged that the bonus payment was deliberate and asked Parliament to be lenient on these officials while conducting its investigations.
However, he was stunned to learn that some more names were included on the list of beneficiaries.
After a litigation process in London in 2015 against Heritage Oil in which Uganda won the case and awarded billions of shillings as costs, URA commissioner general Doris Akol wrote to Museveni asking him to approve payment of shs 6b to whoever participated in this case.
She told the President that “some of us need money to finish our houses, buy land or pay school fees for our children.”
Most Ugandans wondered how a whole woman of substance could reduce her to pettiness and a beggar.
After the payment leaked it aroused distress among the public as many questioned why doctors, civil servants or heads of committees of parliament that recover billions are not rewarded.
The hand shake created a paralysis among different arms of government. This prompted Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga to decry of an unprecedented situation where the doctrine of powers was being tested and how Court dictated operations of the August House..
Her communiqué sent shivers down the spine compelling judiciary to back her claim after Deputy Chief Justice Stephen Kavuma had issued an order barring Parliament from probing into the 6 billion hand shake.
Muhakanizi
Even though President Museveni owned up and requested Parliament not be harsh on the 42 officers, Speaker Kadaga is now in spotlight as to whether she can bow under pressure and suspend the inquiries.
TrumpetNews can reliably report that while Public Accounts Committee (PAC) – committee in charge of investigating this matter- is conducting inquiries, some MPs have launched a clandestine operation to expose Keith Muhakanizi who got shs 243m and also approved the payment at Ministry of Finance.
Muhakanizi is the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development whose name always appears in mega scandals that rock the country.
He merged in the OPM scam in which the country lost shs 50b donor money and investigation showed that Muhakanizi played part in mismanaging of these funds.
He could approve the payment without accountability.
In Pension scam, Muhakanizi admitted that both his ministry made mistakes in the Shs 88bn fraud with the money ending up in the hands of fraudsters.
And now he is among the government officials who received hefty sums of cash as bonus (akasimo)
Untouchable
Our source said that Muhakanizi should have resigned long time ago, or Parliament should have sanctioned his sacking to the President but the man from Western Uganda wields powers of which even MPs fear him.
“When he is summoned to appear before Parliament he responds to Mps with ridicule. Instead of responding to questions he instead questions these MPs while laughing at them. He is very arrogant and undermines the powers of Parliament,” a source said.
We are told most of these MPs fear him because they conduct businesses/ deals which require his approval through the ministry of Finance so as they (MPs) are paid.
“That is why he is exonerated. Because once you roast him in Parliament he knows where to squeeze you from,” a source said.
Adding that, even Civil Society Organisations/NGOs fear to up an ante on him because he sanctions donor funds.
Speaking to TrumpetNews this morning, Hon Gerald Karuhanga, vice chairman PAC confirmed they have been investigating Muhakanizi’s role in the shs 6n handshake and a report is being compiled. “We have a firm report on his works. We also have a firm report on his staff. Not so far we shall sort him,” Karuhanga said.
He declined to divulge more details saying it will jeopardise with their findings.
